The Anambra State Police Command has put a halt to its raid on occultic shrines in the state pending the outcome of investigations into the activities of suspects arrested at the Okija shrine in Ihiala Local Government Area.
The state Police Command Public Relations Officer, Mr. Kunle Sofoluwe, said the command decided to delay further raids on the shrines in order to interrogate families of some of the corpses and names found in the registers at the Okija shrine.
He disclosed that the police was still trying to determine whether the corpses of those found at the shrine were killed by the ritualists or taken to the shrine by their families.
The police PRO said detectives had been visiting relations of some of the names found in the register to know the actual cause of death so as to know the criminal charges to level against the 32 priests arrested at the shrine last week.
He confirmed that as soon as investigation was completed the suspects would be charged to court.
Meanwhile, one of the arrested priests have warned the police to stop its recent raids on the shrines so as not to incur the wrath of the gods. He said the gods were already angry that the sacred grove had been desecrated, adding that they should be released to go and perform the necessary rituals for appeasement, if not "all those who descerated the Okija shrine will die one by one."