Bayelsa cult clash claims five lives

At least five persons are feared dead following a renewed cult clash in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, with the police confirming the arrest of suspects and restoration of law and order in the affected areas.

The violence, which reportedly began at the weekend, involved rival cult groups identified as the Bobos and Greenlanders, with incidents reported in Agudama, Obele and the Back of St. Peters areas of the state capital.

The renewed violence has raised concerns over the peace accord previously reached among some cult groups in the state.

A source alleged that a youth was killed and beheaded during an attack in Agudama, while another person was reportedly shot in the buttocks and rescued by a neighbour.

The condition of the injured victim could not be immediately ascertained.

The exact cause of the renewed clash was not immediately established. However, sources told PUNCH Metro that the Bobos and Greenlanders had remained rivals despite previous efforts to broker peace among cult groups in the state.

A check around Imgbi Road, Ovom and Obele, areas where cult-related activities have previously been reported, showed reduced movement of youths allegedly associated with cult groups amid fears of police arrests and possible attacks by rival groups.

Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Musa Mohammed, said on Tuesday that suspects had been arrested and normalcy restored.

“Suspects have been arrested, and law and order has since been restored,” Mohammed said.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, CP Ajao Saka Adewale, has ordered intensified operations against cultism and cult-related violence across the state.

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A statement by the command said the CP directed Divisional Police Officers and tactical commanders to increase patrols in vulnerable areas, identify emerging threats and act promptly on credible intelligence regarding planned clashes, initiation ceremonies and recruitment activities.

The command said it was also strengthening engagement with community leaders to identify tensions early and prevent them from escalating into violence.

It added that officers would swiftly secure areas where attacks occurred, investigate those responsible and take steps to prevent retaliatory violence.

The CP warned cult groups contemplating attacks or reprisals, as well as their sponsors, that the police would pursue them and bring them to justice.

He said there would be no sacred cows, adding that anyone reasonably suspected of organising, financing, facilitating or participating in cult-related crimes would be investigated irrespective of status or influence.

The command said suspects would be charged before the appropriate court where the evidence warranted prosecution, in accordance with due process.

It also reminded residents that the Bayelsa State Secret Cults/Societies and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law, 2012, as amended in 2018, prohibits membership and sponsorship of secret cults and prescribes criminal penalties upon conviction.

The police urged parents and guardians to caution their children and wards against cult involvement and called on residents to report planned attacks, recruitment activities and other cult-related activities to the nearest police station.

The command further warned against reprisal attacks, harbouring suspects and spreading rumours capable of provoking further violence, urging residents to report threats early and avoid taking the law into their own hands.