Police arrest 10 over deadly cult clashes in Rivers

The police in Rivers state has confirmed the arrest of 10 suspects in the deadly clashes by rival cult groups in Mgbudohia Community in Rumuolumeni Town in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area and Rumuche Town in Emohua Local Government Area.

Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nnamdi Omoni who confirmed the arrest of the cult members, however said that the clashes by the rival cult gangs left three persons dead.

DSP Omoni stated that “I can confirm that of Mgbuodohia where 3 people were killed and 10 persons arrested. Normalcy has since been restored.”

However, our correspondent reports that more than eight persons are feared dead following the clashes.

According to sources, in the wee hours of last Sunday between the hours of 3am -4am, a cult gang in Mgbudohia Community in Rumuolumeni ransacked the community going from house to house in search of rival cult members and slaughtering them.

Our source, on condition of anonymity because of security reasons, however, said that at end of their operations, eight persons were feared dead while the number of wounded was still not certain as at the time of this report.

However, chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Sunny Odum reportedly appealed to fleeing residents of the community to remain calm as security operatives have taken control of the situation.

“In situations like this, people will panic. But, I’m appealing to residents to remain calm and go about their normal businesses as security agencies have been drafted to the area,” he appealed.

Nevertheless, many residents were fleeing the community when our correspondent visited the area on Monday morning for fear of reprisal attack by the rival cult group.

Similarly, on the same day, another cult group went berserk in Rumuche Town in Emohua council area of the state, killing an unspecified number of persons suspected to be members of a rival cult group.

Unconfirmed sources named Big Joe and Bright Junior as two persons killed in Rumuche.

The reasons for the deadly attacks remain sketchy as at press time.