“She identified one of us” – Suspected cultists explain why they cut female corper’s hand

Two bandits arrested in Bayelsa State have owned up to cutting the right hand of a ‘Batch A’ female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Folakemi Akinbode, at Obunagha community of Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.

Their arrest was confirmed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Bayelsa State, Alex Akhighe.

The victim is a graduate of nursing from the Madonna University, Elele Campus, Rivers State, and doing her primary national assignment at the Niger Delta Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Okolobiri, near Obunagha.

The duo, Ebi Jato and Weriye Aluwa who are suspected to be cultists suspects, were arrested on Wednesday in the neighbouring Koroama community while trying to sell Akinbode’s mobile handset.

A police source disclosed that during their confession to severing Akinbode’s right hand because she refused to hand over to them an unspecified amount of cash and other valuables like handset in her handbag.

Prior to the Monday attack, the source said they have been on the Akinbode’s trail, adding that they macheted her right hand at the entrance of the Obunagha Corpers’ Lodge at about 8.30 p.m., as she returned from work.


Her resistance while the group tried to snatch her handbag resulted in the macheting of her right arm.

It was gathered that their arrest was effected by the Bayelsa State Special Security Task Force code named ‘Operation Doo Akpor.’

The suspects were said to have narrated in their confession that Akinbode was in charge of a huge amount of money used by the NDUTH to pay blood donors at the Blood Bank section of the hospital on the night of the attack.

According to the source, “They (the suspects) claimed that all they wanted from her was the remaining money she kept in her bag after the payments in the afternoon. But when she struggled and identified one of them, they attacked her with their machete,” a source said on Thursday.

He said their arrest was made possible by the youths of the area who teamed up to fish them out.

Paramount ruler of Obunagha community, Godgive Apoh, who also confirmed the arrest of the suspects, hinted that the community’s Youth Vigilante Association assisted greatly in the achievement.