NEWS
Police detain cultists who played soccer with a rival’s skull after beheading him
According to reports, Anambra State police officers have detained two accused members of a rival cult who allegedly helped slay, behead, and play soccer with another cultist’s head last year.
In a video that went viral in September of last year, some young men who appeared to be members of a cult were shown dragging out another young guy who appeared to be a rival cult member, shooting him dead in cold blood, and then beheading him.
Another scene in the video showed the young men making fun of the beheading of the rival cultist with dreadlocks while playing soccer with his head.
According to sources, the incident took place in Igbariam, Anambra East Local Government Area, the same town that is home to the state-owned Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), and the head was transported to the state capital, Awka, where kids used it as a plaything.
Two teenage cult members—Chisom Okafor, 23, and Ikechukwu Chinweze, 19, who were being questioned by individuals who appeared to be police officers—acknowledged that they were members of the Ayes cult and had taken part in multiple killings in a video that is currently trending online.
Chisom Okafor, 23, was seen admitting in the footage. “I’m also known as Stamina. I’m from Igboukwu, but my mum is from Awka. I am 23 years old. I belong to Ayes cult group, and have killed only three people before.”
Out of the three people he has slain, he identified two. Savage and Edu Obara are among them. Both were allegedly members of cults and were decapitated similarly in 2021. Savage was killed and beheaded in Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area, while Edu Obara was killed in Igbariam, and his trunk was transported to Awka.
He continued in his confession: “I was among the cultists who went to Obj’s place (just nickname) and killed some security men. We were seven in number that went for the operation. I dropped out of school, but I’m a tiler, and I do tiling very well.”
Okafor in the video also mentioned the names of the seven members of their cult who participated in the operation against security men.
Another cultist, who was also interviewed in the video said: “I’m Ikechukwu Chinweze, I’m 19 years, from Umuzocha in Awka. I’m a school leaver, I was learning phone repairs before I met Chisom here in Ifite.”
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While everything was going on, some Anambra State people said that the Savage guy who was killed the previous year was the same person whose head was used to play soccer, implying that the now-arrested cultists were responsible for the crime.
Iyke Orji, an Anambra indigene said: “Some group of boys have been caught and at state CID Awka now.
“They confessed that they’re the boys that were playing ball with human skull some time ago that went viral on social media,
“They confessed that they were the boys that attacked and killed security men at Miracle Junction Awka.
“They confessed that they killed someone (Savage) at Oko, took the body from Oko to Awka and decapitated the body at Amaenyi Awka.
“One of them is 19. None is above 25.”
A source said the venue of the interview was at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), but when DAILY POST reached out to the State police command to verify the video, the spokesperson of the command, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga pleaded for time to do so.
PPRO, Ikenga is yet to confirm it as of the time of filing this report.
The Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has assured corps members deployed to the state of their safety, despite rising security concerns across the region.
Speaking on Friday through the Commissioner for Youth, Sports Development and Creativity, Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange, Governor Alia said his administration is working closely with security agencies to ensure the safety and well-being of all National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members throughout their service year.
“Sadly, our nation is currently bedevilled with security challenges, and Benue State is not exempt,” the governor stated.
“However, let me quickly allay your fears and assure you that, as a government, we are committed to ensuring that your safety is guaranteed throughout your stay in the state.”
He noted that comprehensive protective measures have been implemented across corps lodges and other areas occupied by corps members in the state.
Governor Alia also encouraged the new corps members to take full advantage of the NYSC’s Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, describing it as a “gateway to great opportunities.”
He further urged them to use their God-given talents to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s development.
In her remarks, the State Coordinator of the NYSC, Mrs. Veronica Garba, thanked the governor and the people of Benue for their continued support of the scheme.
She charged the new inductees to actively participate in the four cardinal components of the orientation course: physical training, motivational lectures, sporting activities, and SAED.
The orientation exercise welcomed a total of 1,600 corps members, officially inducted into the programme by Justice Peter Ukande, who represented the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambeae.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has approved the appointment of a new Acting Director of Administration for the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH), Uburu.
This was contained in a statement in Uburu on Thursday by the DUFUTH’s Public Relations Officer, Agwu N. O.
According to Agwu, the new appointee is Edith Anih, an indigene of Enugu State with relevant working experience, having worked at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, where she was Deputy Director of Administration.
It was gathered that the approval was conveyed in a letter dated April 23, 2025, addressed to the Chief Medical Director.
Prior to her appointment, Anih held the position of Deputy Director of Administration at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu.
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He wrote, “Mrs. Anih Edith Ndidi is a seasoned administrator born on May 22, 1973. She is married and hails from Enugu State, specifically Enugu South Local Government Area.
“She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management. She is also an associate member of the Institute of Health Service Administrators of Nigeria (IHSAN).
“The Management of DUFUTH extends a warm welcome to the new DA and looks forward to collaborating with her as she brings a fresh perspective to the hospital’s administrative leadership.”
The Federal Government of Nigeria is set to launch a forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), in a major move aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, at the ongoing Nigerian Investor Forum, held on the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC.
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Edun explained that the upcoming audit, along with recent changes in NNPCL management, is part of a broader effort to reform the state-owned oil company and rebuild trust in Nigeria’s economic institutions.
Addressing top global investors, including representatives from financial giant J.P. Morgan, Edun outlined a series of bold economic reforms introduced by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
He said the measures are already yielding positive results and have laid a strong foundation for future growth.
“Our goal is not just to maintain this momentum, but to accelerate it,” Edun said. “We are targeting seven per cent annual growth, and we believe the policies we have implemented have laid the groundwork to achieve this.”
According to Edun, Nigeria’s economy grew by 3.84% in the fourth quarter of 2024, with an overall annual growth rate of 3.4%.
He described the government’s economic strategy as “unprecedented,” adding that key indicators such as the budget deficit, trade balance, and exchange rate have all shown signs of improvement.
“We said we would do it, and now we have done it. This time, we’re staying the course,” he emphasized.
The minister also highlighted the government’s focus on agriculture as a critical driver of economic growth, saying efforts are underway to close the food supply gap by empowering local producers.
“We aim to close the food supply gap, not by importing more, but by enabling domestic producers to scale and innovate,” he said.
In the area of infrastructure, Edun announced that 90,000km of fibre optic cable has been rolled out to boost internet connectivity, especially for young Nigerians and the tech ecosystem.
Additionally, 4,000km of roads have been earmarked for private sector participation, with the first 1,000km already approved for construction.
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