Assassination of UNICAL lecturer sparks cult war in Calabar

isaac dachen

March 20, 2017 12:19 PM

A cult war that erupted in Calabar, Cross River State following the assassination of a lecturer has resulted in the deaths of seven persons.

The murder of Dr. Emmanuel Igbeng has caused a cult war in Calabar

The assassination of a senior lecturer in the Department of Accounting, University of Calabar (UNICAL),

Punch reports that Dr. Igbeng, alleged to be a member of the Viking Confraternity, was shot to death by gunmen suspected to be members of the KKK Cult Group in front of his house Asuquo Abasi Street, off Uwanse Lane in the Calabar-South axis of the metropolis in the evening of Thursday, March 16, 2017.

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Members of the KKK were reported to have mobilized and went on a reprisal attack that has seen the seven other persons being killed within three days following the renewed clash, with many others seriously injured.

A source who spoke to Punch on the incident said two other unidentified persons suspected to be members of the KKK group were also ambushed and killed on that same Thursday.

“On Friday, some members of the rival Vikings group stormed a popular hangout around Atekong Drive, off Marian Road at about 7 pm and opened fire, killing at least two persons.

The war started on Thursday night when a lecturer in the University of Calabar, Dr. Emmanuel Igbeng, who is alleged to be a top member of one of the groups, was shot dead in his house.

That same Friday night, one person was shot dead along Queen Duke Street. Another person was killed at Harcourt by Luggard Street.

On Saturday morning, another person was shot dead at the popular Etim Edem Park, close to the Atakpa Police Division.

We just got information that a boy was shot along White House Street, but he did not die. He managed to escape with gunshot wounds and has gone into hiding,” the source added.

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Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Irene Ugbo, said the police anti-riot squads had been dispatched around the city to ensure normalcy returned with the police doing their best to stop the cult war.

isaac dachen