Cult war claims policeman, three others in Bayelsa

The unending and ongoing cult war in Yenagoa metropolis and its environs in Bayelsa State, on Sunday, claimed one policeman (name withheld) and three civilians. The killings took place in two separate incidents.

While the policeman, said to be of the Police Mobile Force, was killed in Yenagoa, the three civilians were killed in Otuesiga in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.

It was learnt that the policeman allegedly ran into the rampaging cultists at Tombia area of the state capital. They were on rampage over the arrest of one of their leaders, a member of the Icelanders cult group.

At Otuesiga, it was gathered that two rival cult groups engaged in supremacy battle and in the ensuing clash, two cultists were killed, while an unlucky man, said to be from the northern part of the country, was hit by a stray bullet during the confrontation.

The unidentified victim was said to have died instantly after being hit by the stray bullets.

The Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Ebere Onyeagoro, confirmed the killing of the police personnel during the cultists’ show of force. Onyeagoro said: “The command regrettably lost one of its men on his way to duty.

That is one of the hazards of the job. We are doing our best to make sure such incident does not occur. It is essentially as a result of cult activities.

It was unfortunate that the officer ran into them and lost his life in that encounter.”

Onyeagoro, who yesterday briefed newsmen and officers of the command after his assumption of duty last Friday, said cult activities, robberies and associated crimes will be routed out in the state.

He listed the prevailing crimes in the state were cultism, armed robbery, rape, indecent assaults, chieftaincy tussle, communal disputes, among others.