Naval officer, nursing mother, 18 other killed as cultists clash

dimeji akinloye

June 5, 2016 2:32 PM

Report said two rival cult group clashed in the two communities, throwing caution in the air as they opened fire on each other at the expense of innocent people.

Nigerian policemen

Suspected cult members reportedly killed a naval officer and 18 others in Aluu community in Ikwerre Local Government Area and Obite community in Etche council area of Rivers State.

According to Punch, two rival cult group clashed in the two communities, throwing caution in the air as they opened fire on each other at the expense of innocent people.

The naval officer was said to be among the Joint Task Force team that went to the area to bring the situation under control. He was hit by a bullet from the cultists.

According to report, a cult group named Greenlanders stormed Aluu, to retaliate a previous attack from a rival group called Icelanders. They killed 15 persons, including a nursing mother.

Several others were injured during the attack in Aluu community.

The cult members also invaded Etche community, killing four persons, an eyewitness told the newspaper.

“Some cult members believed to be members of Greenlanders entered the community and killed some people. The boys operated in a very terrible manner. They went to a supermarket where people usually go to buy something and opened fire on over six people," a source said.

“Some people narrowly escaped with gun wounds. We do not know the cause of the killings, although we suspected that it is a cult war."

The cultists were said to have proceeded to Obite, where four persons suspected to be members of the Greenlanders were allegedly killed by the Icelanders.

“At the moment, people are running away and nobody knows who is who. The cult boys entered the community by 8am and started shooting the people they described as their enemies.

“The Icelanders boys were the ones that shot the Degbam boys, but the fear now is that the Degbam cult group has written a letter to the community, asking the residents to flee because they are going to revenge,’’ a source said.

READ: Cult War - Murder suspect says youth leader was killed in revenge

The Caretaker Chairman of Ikwerre LGA, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, however said the report about the attack was blown out of proportion.

The council chairman said government intervention in the incident was timely and that normalcy has been restored to the affected area, adding that the criminals have been chased out of the community.

dimeji akinloye