One killed, others injured in renewed Bayelsa cult clash

ONE person has been confirmed killed and several others injured in renewed clash between two rival cult groups in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

Although the cult groups were yet to be identified, eyewitnesses told The Guardian yesterday that some suspected cult members, who filed out in their large numbers from Yenagoa, headed for Obele, a suburb in the state capital, where the bloody clash ensued.

It was learnt that during the clash, which occurred on Monday, an unidentified man was killed, some persons were injured with machete cuts, while others sustained gunshot injuries.

The hoodlums, who were armed with dangerous weapons, shut down business activities at Amarata and its environs, shooting indiscriminately and terrorising residents.

An eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Isaiah, said members of a certain cult group came in their droves and forced shop owners in Amarata to shut down as they released bullets into the air.

He said though the cult members did not harm anybody, they created panic in the area, which forced residents to scamper to safety amid confusion and chaos, adding that after creating pandemonium, they left to Obele where they killed a resident and injured others.

Isaiah called on relevant authorities to address the incessant cult clashes in the state, saying the residents no longer slept with their two eyes closed.

The Bayelsa State Police Command confirmed the incident, saying rival cult groups clashed in Obele.

Spokesman for the command, SP Asinim Butswat, said one person was killed during the clash adding that the corpse of the victim had been deposited at the morgue.

“We cannot establish the cult groups involved in the clash until after arrests have been made,” he added.