Three persons were last Sunday killed in cult-related clashes in two communities of Bane and Kpaa in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Local Government, Hyacinth Nwiye, who confirmed the incidents to journalists, said two persons were killed in Bane, while a woman was shot dead in Kpaa community during the clashes between two rival cult groups.
According to him, one of the cultists was shot and be-headed.
“When I heard about the incident, I quickly called the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) to find out what hap-pened. I went there myself and when I got there, I dis-covered that the corpses have been brought to the police station.
“I went with them to the mortuary, where the corpses were deposited. I later discovered that one of the cultists that participated in this nefarious act was shot dead and beheaded. His head was taken away. We went with the police to take the headless body to the mortuary,” he said.
The chairman said the motive behind incessant cult clashes in the area could not be established.
When contacted, the state Assistant Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Koko, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), told newsmen that the matter was under in-vestigation.
Meanwhile, the gale of killings in Rivers State communities has continued with the killing of about 15 persons in the early hours of Monday, in Egi Clan in Ogba /Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the state.
The killings, suspected to be perpetrated by cultists, were said to have started in Obaji, where a killer-squad, in a convoy of about five motorcycles, shot and wounded one person. The victim did not die on the spot, but later gave up the ghost in an undisclosed hospital.
From Obaji, the rampaging bandits moved to Ede community, where they shot and killed three persons.
Not yet done with the killing spree, the suspected cultists stormed Ngbu Umuohali Junction in the area, where they killed two natives of neighbouring Egbema community in Imo State, and wounded another person.
After Ngbu Umuohali, The Newswriter checks revealed, they moved to Obite and allegedly killed one person before moving to Egita community, where they killed about four persons. Thereafter, the killer group was said to have moved to Akabuka community, where they also shot one person dead.
As at press time, the number of persons killed in Akabuka could not be ascertained but our source said no fewer than 15 persons were killed in the operation.
Members of the affected communities said they were confused, as they could not fathom the motive behind the mindless killings. However, some of those who confided in the reporter linked the attacks to cult activities.
Recall that only recently, three young men were murdered at about 1a.m. at Ihuowo community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state. Similar incidents have also been recorded in Abua Odual and some other places.
In a related development, cultists have slaughtered eight (8) persons in separate dangerous operations along the popular Aggrey Road, Port Harcourt on Monday.
According to information reaching our crime desk, the cultists opened fire in two (2) different drinking joints on Aggrey Road killing no few than eight (8) persons and wounded scores of people.
The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Grace Iringe-Koko who confirmed the incident attributed it to clash of two (2) rival cult groups.
Tension mounts as cultists take over the state. Concerned citizens who spoke to our crime reporter, condemned the situation and called on the relevant agencies to beef up security in the state.###
