By Sampson Boroh
At least three persons have been reportedly feared killed in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, when members of rival cult groups locked horns in renewed hostilities.
The fight said to be between suspected members of the Iceland and Bobos cult groups in Amarata area of Yenagoa has been raging with a 17-year-old boy identified as Tari-ebi popularly known as Kim being one of the victims.
The bloody attack was said to have assumed dangerous dimension on Tuesday night when the three victims were gunned down by both factions.
It was learnt that Tari-ebi was not a member of either of the cult group but struck by bullets from one of the factions when the fight was raging in the area.
The 17-year-old boy was alleged to have been shot on the head by the suspected members of the Icelander group along the Apex Academy road in Amarata was said to be returning home from an errand when he was caught by the bullets.
A resident of the area said, ”a commercial tricycle was sighted entering the street at about 7.30pm with three boys inside. And the next thing every resident heard was gun shots. By the time we went to check what was happening the corpse of the boy was found.
“If you visit the Apex Academy road, we are in mourning. Most residents have contributed some monies to assist in the burial of the boy. Though the police came for the corpse but later brought it back for the family to bury him properly.”
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The other two deceased were said to be members of the rival cult groups.
Amarata area of the state capital has allegedly been under cult clash between the two leading cult groups in the area as warring cultists frequently launch attacks on their rivals and thereafter go into hiding.
An inside source within the office of the State Vigilante Service revealed that there is an ongoing effort to reach out to the leaders of the various cult groups for them to sheath their swords and resolved whatever issues that may have spark the violence.
When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Asimin Butswat, confirmed the attack but clarified that the police only have record of two persons being killed in the attack.
Butswat said the state police command had commenced investigations into the cult clashes at Amarata, adding that, “The leaders of the cult groups have been identified and efforts are underway to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators.”
