A cult clash in Bayelsa State has reportedly claimed three more lives following a renewed clash between suspected rival groups.
Authorities stated that the investigation has commenced as security operatives move to track down fleeing suspects linked to the incident.
The development was confirmed by the Bayelsa State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Musa Muhammad, on Monday.
He said, “Yes, it’s true, we have commenced investigation, and I can assure you that efforts are on, and in no distant time the fleeing suspects will be arrested.”
The incident is one of several cult-related altercations that have occurred in recent months, resulting in fatalities and inciting panic in a number of towns due to worries of other attacks.
Conflicts between the Boboos and Greenlanders cult groups, which have collectively claimed at least three lives in the most recent epidemic, are allegedly connected to the resurgence of violence, according to our correspondent.
Two weeks prior, in the Yenegue neighborhood of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, a 30-year-old man known as Ebi was allegedly decapitated by suspected Bobos cult members.
The identities of the victims were not immediately confirmed, but it was reported that at least six people had been killed in recent weeks in Yenagoa due to clashes, which also caused some residents to flee their homes and temporarily disrupted business activities.
Ebi was reportedly linked to the Greenlanders group, a development that reportedly increased tensions across some communities.
The situation is “a continuation of the disturbing cult-related violence that has plagued parts of the state in recent weeks,” according to a resident who asked not to be named.
According to reports, community leaders were pleading for composure and encouraging young people to abstain from violence and adopt nonviolent behavior.
In order to stop other assaults in the region, locals have also urged state officials and security organizations to bolster preventive measures.
