Navy detains suspected cult leader 'Play Play' after Rivers community attack

Nigerian Navy personnel assigned to the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny have detained a man accused of leading a cult, Paul Brown, who is also called “Play Play,” in connection with an attack linked to cult activity in Mumakiri community, widely known as Ajegunle Fishing Settlement, in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State. The reported incident took place on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. According to FOB Bonny, information was received around 8:05 a.m. that suspected cult members were intimidating residents of the community and allegedly demanding money, fish and other valuables from them. After receiving the report, the naval base sent armed personnel to Ajegunle Community on two gunboats to step in and restore order. The naval team’s arrival is said to have caused the suspected cultists to run into nearby creeks and bushes. Troops chased the fleeing suspects and were able to capture Brown, while four others got away into the waterways and surrounding bush. The detained suspect was brought to FOB Bonny for initial investigation. Naval personnel also spoke with members of the community, gave assurances of continued protection and helped return the area to normal. Preliminary findings reportedly showed that the suspects were part of a small faction of the MEND cult group operating from areas of Andoni Local Government Area and making incursions into communities on Bonny Island. The initial investigation indicated that Brown was allegedly the faction’s leader and had been terrorising Ajegunle residents because they refused to recognise his claimed assembly and pay what was described as “royalties.” Following the initial investigation, the suspect was transferred to the Nigerian Police Force, Bonny Division, for further investigation and possible prosecution in line with the law. In the meantime, FOB Bonny and other security agencies on Bonny Island have increased efforts to find the four suspects who fled and to stop additional incursions into the community. The naval operation has also drawn fresh attention to the security weaknesses of riverine communities around Bonny and adjoining waterways, where criminal and cult groups can take advantage of hard-to-reach creeks and the closeness of neighbouring local government areas to carry out incursions.