Cult Clash Claims Three Persons In Etche

The people of
Akwukabi Community in Etche  Local Government Area of Rivers State are now living in palpable  fear, following a cult clash that has claimed  the lives of three persons even as properties worth millions of naira have been destroyed.
A source from the community, who spoke to The Tide on the condition of anonymity said the clash was between members of the two rival dreaded cult groups in the area, Dey-Gbam and Dewell.
The source also said  the  incident  happened on Friday and Saturday in  which  three  persons were confirmed dead  and houses destroyed, adding that members of the cult groups clashed  in a struggle for supremacy  in the area.
According to the source,  at about 12 noon on Friday, these boys  came to Umuekwene village and  started  shooting and in attempt by the Dey-well group to reply them, one person was gunned down.
On Saturday, the De-gbam  boys led by one of their leaders, popularly called Fela stormed the community and shot at two  persons dead and set  many houses ablaze, adding that  one of those  killed was identified  as Mr Ogunka.
Our correspondent who visited  the community reported that over 90 percent of the inhabitants have fled the area and many houses  also  destroyed.
Some of the people who spoke  with our correspondent  called on the Commissioner of Police to establish a track team of the anti-cultism unit in the area inorder to forestall the reoccurrence of the incident in future.
When contacted on phone, the Police  Public Relations Officer, DSP  Nnamdi Omoni said that the situation was under control and called  on the residents of the area who left the area in the wake of the violence  to return home  as normalcy, had been restored.