Police in Bayelsa State have arrested 17 suspects linked to the brutal killings of two Niger Delta University graduates in Gbarantoru community, Yenagoa Local Government Area.

The victims,  Ayaokpo Sinclair and were hacked to d3ath on Thursday. 

The apprehension of the suspects was carried out by the Rapid Response Squad, led by Bishop Elemide, during a stop-and-search operation on Amassoma road on a Friday night.

Among the 17 suspects are four suspected cyber fraudsters who allegedly sponsored the k!lling of the two graduates. 

According to a police source who spoke to Punch, the RRS promptly responded to a radio alert and found more than 13 young men crammed inside a Suzuki minibus, with visible bloodstains.

“We saw over 13 boys cramped inside with blood stains on few of them and machetes stained with blood. The police immediately suspected they were the ones that carried out the k!lling,” the source said. 

“Upon questioning, the police discovered that they went to the scene of the crime in two minibuses. One developed fault while they were escaping and they decided to abandon it and use one minibus.” 

Another police officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “The boys were suspected members of the notorious cult group, and that the killing of the two university graduates was sponsored by some four yahoo boys.”

The spokesperson of the command, Musa Mohammed, confirmed that some arrests were made by the men of the RRS and the level of involvement of each suspect is under investigation.

“Yes, some major arrests have been made, and the command is investigating,” Mohammed said on Sunday.