By Godwin Anene
One person has been confirmed killed as two rival cult groups on Friday clashed over illegal collection of levies from street traders in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The deceased, Leo Henry, was said to have been shot when disagreement ensued over which group has right to collect levies from those trading around the Diobu area of the Port Harcourt City.
The two cult groups involved in the deadly attack are Iceland and Deygbam cults.
Diobu had been under Rivers State Government’s Covid-19 lockdown and markets closed before Governor Nyesom Wike ordered recent lockdown of entire Port Harcourt metropolis, but clandestine streets markets continue to thrive in the area with the Iceland and Deygbam cults staging frequent deadly clashes over which gang collects traders’ levies.
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The Police Public Relations Officer, Rivers Command, Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the latest killing Friday as men of Nkpolu Divisional Police Office evacuated corpse of the victim from a spot at Chigbu Street, Mile 3 Diobu, where suspected fellow gang member dumped him after being shot dead.
Leo, alleged member of the Icelanders said to hail from Umuahia, Abia state was shot at Bishop Okoye Street where he was engaged in his gangs’ extortion on street traders.
An eye witness narrated that, “He was about assist a Police Officer to lift some goods he bought at Bishop Okoye Street when he was shot dead.
“His fellow cult member came afterwards to wheel his dead body on a barrow to a popular place he is always seen having good times at Chigbu Stree, Mile 3 Diobu from where Police came to evacuate him. The incident also resulted in vandalism on in the area by angry Leo’s gang members”
Recall that supremacy clashes between Deygbam and Iceland mainly over collection of street markets levies have claimed Chisco Uzuoma, Hitler, both Icelanders and the duo of Saidi Wasiu and latest victim, Leo Henry, said to belong to Deygbam
