Gladys Nweke
Incidents of violence and cult clashes have been reported in parts of Rivers State in the last one week and this week as well. Cultists have reportedly been chasing away students of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Ndele Campus in Emohua LGA of Rivers State, and as well as kidnapping them.
It was gathered that some students who went outside the campus to buy provisions for themselves were kidnapped with their whereabouts yet unknown while the ones that were killed could not also be found.
Also, at Rumuolumeni in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, residents stayed awake for most of Monday night due to cult violence.
TPCN reports that at least fifteen people were injured in the overnight violence, including some who suffered machete cuts.
Some eyewitnesses complained that security operatives failed to come to their aid despite phone calls to the Rumuolumeni Divisional Police Station.
However, the Rumuolumeni DPO denied the claims by residents, saying that the police station was not informed about the cult violence.
Also, fresh cult violence claimed the lives of two persons at Mgbuitawo community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State on Thursday.
One Nnam-Gift Uchendu was shot dead and beheaded by suspected members of a rival cult group.
Uchendu was reportedly killed alongside one Daddy-Boy Isaiah as gunmen stormed Mgbuitawo community, firing gunshots at random until they located their main target.
The spokesman of the Rivers State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the incident, said a reinforcement team has been sent to Mgbuitawo to calm the situation and investigate the killings.
In the same vein, fresh cult violence erupted at Egbeda community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State with at least one person killed.
It was gathered that the cult clashes at Egbeda heightened tension in the area, leading to the deployment of a joint security team.
A similar scenario also played out at Ubima in Ikwerre Local Government Area where two cult leaders were beheaded.
A source in the community who confirmed the development identified one of the slain suspected cult leaders as Don E.O.
The source said the suspected cultists who were also involved in armed robbery, had embarked on an operation to steal electrical transformer in the community when they were intercepted by another rival gang.
A senior police officer at the Igwuruta Police Division, who also confirmed the incident, said Don E.O and his allies had opened fire on the rival group before they were overpowered.
Men of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria on Wednesday arrested eight suspected cultists who fled Andoni to Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
TPCN gathered from a source close to the VGN that the suspected cultists were caught at a forest in Bodo community.
The men were caught while purportedly undergoing some kind of rituals with a tortoise, native fowl and goat, in a bid to fortify themselves for an operation in Andoni.
The source said the young men were immediately handed over to the Police Division at Kpor, in Gokana, but it appeared that the local police officers have been put under pressure to release the suspects.
Alas last week Friday, pupils and students of primary and secondary schools at Etuo community in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State were forced to go home earlier than usual due to an invasion of the area by unknown gunmen.
It was reported that the gunmen invaded a farm road linking the community school where they shot a man identified as Victor Wigbalor at his farm.
An eyewitness said Wigbalor was rushed to a hospital and it remains unclear if the middle-aged man would survive the gun-shot.
Spokesman of the Rivers State Police Command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, when contacted said We are aware of most of these incidents and our men have been proactive in tackling them by nipping them in the bud.
