7 killed in Benue cult clash

At least seven people have been killed in a cult-related clash at the North Bank community in Makurdi metropolis of Benue State.

 Residents said the killings occurred at the weekend after members of rival cults, whom they popularly referred to as “black” and “red”, locked horns in a battle of supremacy.

The residents explained that the major market in North Bank could not open for trading or other activities on Friday and Saturday following the disturbances by the cultists, who went on a rampage in the vicinity.

Commander of a local vigilante known as Operation Shara (Sweep), Nura Umar, told our correspondent on the telephone that between Sunday and the early hours of Monday, a total of seven people had been killed.

Umar said one person was first injured by a member of one of the cult groups and he (commander) took the young man who is a commercial motorcyclist to a hospital but that he died Sunday morning.

He added that the other rival group went and killed two persons of their perceived opponent which also triggered a reprisal that led to the killing of four others, bringing the number to seven. 

“They removed one head and went with it. The “red” killed two while the “black” killed four. One okada (motorcyclist) man was first killed. Now, soldiers, police and civil defence including other security agencies are here (North Bank),” Umar narrated.

Similarly, Comrade Cibilus Odinaka, the North Bank Market chairman, regretted that the activities of cultists continued to hamper the operations of the market, which serves part of the largest population in the Makurdi metropolis.

“The market looks like a battlefield where the two rivals come to fight. They had tried to turn this to look like a Tiv-Hausa fight but it was not. The other part that is Tiv will come and vent their anger on the Hausa in the market and vice versa. You know when it affects the Hausa, it will affect other tribes,” he said. 

Contacted, the police spokesperson for Benue Command, SP Catherine Anene, confirmed that the reports of cult activities in North Bank were reported and that the command had deployed police officers to take charge. 

Anene added that the investigation was ongoing but that she did not have the report of the number of victims.