A 400-level student of Medicine and Surgery at University of Calabar arrested by police in Cross River over alleged illegal possession of arms, said he got the weapon to protect himself.
The suspect, Ikezue Nnamdi, who was arrested on Tuesday, said in Calabar on Thursday that he was a member of a cult group, “black axe confraternity’’.
Nnamdi said that his focus was to be a professional medical doctor, but that he was initiated into cultism by his friends.
“I was arrested because of accommodation problem in the hostel. The school authority asked me to vacate from the room I was staying.
“I pleaded with them to give me one week, but the school security packed my things away.
“When the security came to my room, they searched me and found some of these items in my possession.
“The army uniform I am wearing was given to me when I was a student of Nigerian Military School, Zaria, in 2014.
“The firearm is what I use to protect myself and I got the gun from a friend. I kept the arms with me because I am a member of black axe confraternity.
“I am a cultist and not a criminal because I have not threatened anybody with this gun.
“It was not my intention to become a cultist; my intention is to be a good doctor in life. If I am pardoned, I will denounce cultism and be a good boy,’’ he lamented.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Irene Ugbo, had earlier issued a statement, saying that Nnamdi was arrested for being a member of a cult group.
According to the statement, items recovered from him during the arrest include one locally-fabricated revolver pistol, two live 33mm ammunition, seven compressed rolls of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp and a pair of military camouflage. (NAN)