Cultists defy govt’s threat, kill another person in Akwa Ibom

Cultists in Inen community, Oruk Anam Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, have defied threats and appeals for a ceasefire by the government and killed another person.

The state Chief Judge, Justice Godwin Abraham, had urged cultists to cease hostilities in the community and embrace peace, or face the wrath of the law when he visited the internally displaced camp in Ikot Ibritam last week Thursday, where the community had created a shelter for persons who fled their homes due to constant cultist attacks.

However, the cultists killed another person, Gilbert Adaiden, aged 61, shortly after Justice Abraham had offered them amnesty.

It was gathered that the deceased was killed in his compound as he refused to join other residents to flee the community following recurrent rival cult skirmishes.

A witness, Okon Timothy, said the victim moved to Inen Ekeffe, where he built a house and has lived for many years there, after he was chased away from his family compound following a misunderstanding with his brothers.

“Gilbert left us for his own compound. He had lived in Inen Ekeffe for more than ten years. When the cultists invaded the community, he did not have anywhere to run to and decided to stay in his house.

“But last week, the cultists descended on the old man, and snuffed life from him,” he said.

When the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Odiko Macdon, was contacted on the issue, he said his office was not aware of the killing.

He however promised to get back to our correspondent as soon as details of the incident were made available to his office.

The Akwa Ibom government had proscribed over 50 cultist groups in the state and vowed to prosecute cultists but the reign of cultism has thrived in Inen community for many months now without government’s intervention.

Meanwhile, over 3,000 persons have been displaced, many killed, some maimed and property worth millions destroyed by rival cult clashes in the area.