Cult in Rivers: 12 Feared Dead

No less than 12 persons are feared dead in a new wave of cult clashes involving suspected members of Icelanders and members of Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND).

The cult war, which took place on Sunday in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, initially started in Ataba community with the killing of two brothers in the early hours of that day was said to have spread to more communities in the area.

Some of the communities affected are: Oyorokoto, Isiodum, Asarama, Egbormung, Obiama, Oronija and Ungenda .

As a result of this clash, some of the communities have been deserted by their inhabitants for fear of further invasion by the suspected cult groups.

It was not possible to reach the Police Spokesman in the state, DSP Nnamdi Omoni but a top Police source who confirmed the incident also said that a crack team has been deployed to the area to contain further attacks by the cultists, promising that the Police would restore normalcy in the area.

The Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Andoni Local Government Area, Chief Allen Jonah Abi could not also be reached.

A top politician from the area who also spoke on grounds of anonymity condemned the attack and said that “it would be better to draft a federal taskforce on anti- cultism to Andoni.”

The politician decried the idea of an Andoni man killing his fellow Andoni man saying it is a taboo.

He also called on both the traditional rulers and the political class in the area to do more to stem the rising cases of cult violence in the area.

While advising the cultists to sheath their swords, he also pointed out that “Andoni will never gain anything from cultism and violence.”