The Neo Black Movement (NBM) cult group has reportedly donated two iron shelters to traffic police in Osun State. The cult group is also known as Black Axe or Ayee confraternity.

The donation allegedly made to the police was made public on social media. Pictures seen by PREMIUM TIMES show excitement in the face of police officers and members of the cult group during the donation.

To be sure that the picture was not fabricated, our correspondent did a Google reverse image of the pictures which show that they first appeared online on October 31.

The state police command did not deny nor confirm the donation. It, however, said it was investigating the donation.

Nigerian newspapers have reported series of killings and shootings allegedly carried out by the Black Axe and other cult groups.

On July 10, 1999, one of the most notable single attacks occurred at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ife. OAU had been considered one of the safest universities in the country. In February 1999, student leaders organised a campus-wide search, which found eight secret cult members who were stockpiling machine guns and other weapons in their dorm room. This enraged the Black Axe confraternity, who organized a murder squad that hacked the student union secretary-general, George Iwilade and four others to death.

The police on several occasions have also announced the arrest of different members of cult groups.

Reactions

Many Nigerians on social media have condemned this development. Also, security experts who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said the pictures are a ‘disgrace’ to the Nigeria Police Force.

Tunde Olaiya told our correspondent that: “you cannot romance the cult guys and still say you want to discipline them. We understand their atrocities. They force people into their groups, they kill, rape and cause threat to the public and yet police felt they are good to collect iron shelter from them. It is a disgrace to the police force.”

We are investigating – Police

Meanwhile, the Osun State police spokesperson, Folashade Odoro, in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Friday night did not deny nor confirm the donation to the traffic police.

Black Axe members with Police

She told our correspondent that the police is aware of the viral pictures and that they are “investigating the matter.”

“The only thing I can tell you is that we are investigating,” she said.