Two killed, others injured as rival cults clash in Benue

The Benue State Police Command has confirmed the death of two people during a fight between rival cult groups in the Wadata area of Makurdi, Benue State capital, on Sunday.

The battle between the rival cult groups was said to have broken out around the riverside in Wadatta where they had gone to hold a meeting.

According to the state police spokesperson, Catherine Anene, “Due to the police fight against cultism in the state, some cultists have travelled to the riverside to hold a meeting.

“On getting there, they saw a rival cult group and this resulted in a clash in which two people lost their lives,” she said.

Anene said five suspects had been arrested and promised to provide details of the incident later.

Earlier, our correspondent learnt that four people were killed and many others suffered gunshots and axe injuries.

An eyewitness told our correspondent on Monday that trouble started when rival cult groups belonging to the Red and Black groups in the area engaged in a battle of supremacy which resulted in the death of four people.

The eyewitness who identified himself as Aboh explained that the clash started Sunday morning after the Red confraternity engaged one of the Blacks in a heated argument, resulting in a fighting.

He said the argument led to a serious fight and by the time the fight was over, two persons were found dead at the riverside.

Aboh said another person and his neighbour whose name was given as Emeka, were also killed at the Wadata Police Barracks, Makurdi, on Sunday evening, after he was attacked by the rival group in retaliation.

He said, “Yesterday evening, we were attending a meeting at the police barracks in Wadata when some of the boys (cult boys) traced Emeka to where he was attending the meeting, attacked and killed him. They also proceeded to the rice mill and killed another person.

“The victims are all my friends. I was even calling one of them on the phone to come and see what was happening, only for me to hear  that he was among those killed.”