4 killed in renewed Benue cult clash

Residents, who preferred anonymity, told our correspondent on Monday that the suspected cultists in a supremacy fight hacked four persons to death within one week.

It was gathered that a building was also set ablaze on Tuesday afternoon as the fight between the rival cult groups intensified.

The residents claimed that two cult groups popularly referred to as Black and Red respectively had turned the North Bank vicinity into a theatre of war, causing people to run helter skelter.

“Government should act now, else more people would be wiped away by these cult boys. There was another killing yesterday (Monday) and even up to this moment (Tuesday afternoon), we can hear gunshots.

“Currently, arrangements are underway to bury the victim of yesterday’s cult clash. This afternoon, a house was set on fire on Ter-Guma Street. Many incidents here go unreported. These criminals now attack people indiscriminately, whether they are part of a cult group or not,” a resident said.

Commander of a local vigilante known as Operation Shara (Sweep) in North Bank, Nura Umar, told our correspondent on the telephone that the latest killing occured about 9pm on Monday, adding that another person had been killed earlier.

He said it was unfortunate that the victims, all young male adults, lost their lives in that manner, expressing worry that while one was beheaded with no trace of his body, another’s skull was shattered on the ground.

Umar said, “It’s really bad. They killed one person yesterday (Monday). He was shot in the eyes. Last week three people were killed. It’s a supremacy battle between the Black and Red cultists.”

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benue State Command, SP Catherine Anene, had not responded to calls or messages to her telephone as of the time of filing this report.