Cult clash claims thirty- year- old man in Ibadan

• Police recover cattle of fleeing herdsman who butchered farmer in Imo • Delta community seeks govt, security intervention over cult killings

TRAGEDY occurred in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Saturday, when a 30- year- old man, Lanre Ahmed, was killed during a cult clash. Yetunde Ahmed, the deceased’s elder sister, said Lanre was killed on Saturday evening by members of a cult group who were said to be on the trail of some youngsters in the community.

“I saw my late brother at about 6: 00p. m. and he was well. I learnt he came back home briefly at about 8: 00p. m. But hoodlums waylaid him on the bridge and shot him dead. I got the news through a telephone call. “My brother wasn’t based in Ibadan. He just came home. He returned to Ibadan in the wake of the One Million boys’ rage at Ago Iwoye in Ogun State. I was called on the telephone that he had been shot. “On getting to the scene, he mentioned some names of persons who are close to a gang leader that died recently as those after him. He said the boys had said that they would continue to strike following Moshood’s killing, and more people would still go down,” Yetunde said. Confirming Ahmed’s death, Olugbenga Fadeyi, the Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO) of Oyo State command, said investigation had been intensified to unearth facts behind his death. In Imo State, residents have expressed dismay over last weekend’s killing of a 65- year- old farmer by a suspected herdsman. The deceased, from Agwa community in Oguta Local

Government Area of the state, had gone to his farm on Saturday morning only to see some cattle with a herdsman allegedly destroying his crops. According to sources, the deceased expressed annoyance and drove away the cattle, not knowing that the herdsman was to come after him, slaughtering and dismembering his body with machete, and fled the scene. The representative of the constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly, Frank Ugboma, who addressed family of the deceased and constituents, appealed to them not to take up arms, promising that justice would be done.

MEANWHILE, the police have recovered the cattle and kept them in the command’s custody at an undisclosed place for safety, while its owner has been contacted. The Imo command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Orlando Godson Ileokwu, who disclosed this to The Guardian yesterday, said the owner of the cattle was not in the state, adding that he had promised to honour the police invitation. He said, “The cattle are in our custody. I do not know the number, but they are safe. The herdsman ran away. We have contacted the owner. He is not in the state. He has promised to come to see us. The body of the slain man has been deposited in a morgue.” Ironically, the incident happened a day after the governor, Hope Uzodimma, allayed fears of Imo citizens that there were no herdsmen attacking anyone in the forest. Also, residents of Eruomukowharien community in Ughelli North of Delta State have called on the government and security agencies to intervene as cultists go on the rampage, killing residents. One of the community members who alerted The Guardian to the cult activities in the area said fear had gripped the entire community after a 25- year- old son of an ex- president- general of the community was murdered three days, ago along with three others.

“Cultists are on the rampage in Ughelli and environs between Axe men and Eiye. They have been shooting all through last night in the community. Four persons have already been killed,” he said.