PORT HARCOURT – No fewer than four persons were, yesterday, feared dead during a cult clash between suspected cults groups in two communities of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
It was learnt that the two cult groups that has been threatening peace in the area over supremacy battle clashed again last night resulting in the deaths and destructions of valuables in the area. Recall that it is barely one week after a commercial bus travelling to ONELGA owned by the LG Council was hijacked and over 17 passengers kidnapped. These were happening as the state government under Governor Nyesom Wike had promised to give amnesty to repentant cultists in the state.
It was gathered that some of the diehard cultists in the area were already yielding to the call of the state government.
But, yesterday, another cult war erupted in the area and it was learnt that cultists had engaged again in another round of war. Vanguard gathered that suspected cultists stormed Omoku Town and killed one of their victims before moving to Okansu community where they shot three more persons dead.
A community source who related the development to Vanguard on condition of anonymity said one female was among the four victims. It said that the first cult group attacked Omoku and killed a member of the rival group and in reprisal the other group attacked Okansu killing three and destroying property.
The source who is a resident of Okansu regretted that the shootings and killings caused pandemonium in the community, adding that people have gone to hiding because of fear.
The source said, “Okansu did not know peace last night as suspected cultist stormed the community shooting sporadically before killing three people. “Several people were also kidnapped and several buildings destroyed during the operation that lasted almost all throughout the night.
“The inhabitants of the area are now living in fear. The cult members of the victim who was murdered in Omoku Town were the people that came on reprisal attack at Okansu and killed three persons”.
When contacted the Police Public Relations Officer of River State Police Command, DSP. Nnamdi Omoni said he had not been briefed on the developement.
VANGUARD
