The Benue State Police Command has confirmed that two people were killed in a cult clash between rival groups in the Wadata area of Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, on Sunday.
The clash between the groups reportedly started at a riverside location in Wadata, where they had gathered for a meeting.
Police spokesperson, Catherine Anene, said that due to the police’s efforts to fight cultism in the state, some cult members went to the riverside to hold their meeting, and they encountered a rival group, which led to a deadly clash.
Anene also mentioned that five people were arrested in connection with the fight and promised to share more details later.
Before the police report, it was learned that four people were killed, and several others were injured by gunshots and axes. An eyewitness, who spoke to reporters, explained that the violence started when members of two rival groups, the Red and Black cults, fought over control in the area.
The witness, named Aboh, said the fight began on Sunday morning after a heated argument between a member of the Red group and a Black group member. This argument escalated into a serious fight, and by the end of it, two people were found dead at the riverside.
Later that evening, Aboh said that another man, named Emeka, was killed at the Wadata Police Barracks after a rival group attacked him in retaliation. The cult members also went to the nearby rice mill and killed another person.
Aboh, who knew all the victims, shared that he was on the phone with one of his friends, trying to get him to join him, only to later hear that his friend was one of those who had been killed.
