Seven killed in Delta community cult clashes

No fewer than seven persons have been killed in a supremacy battle of rival cults believed to be members of the Aye and Bangas confraternities in Ughelli, in the Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

Many people reportedly sustained varying degrees of injury in the attack.

Whatsupblog9ja Trends gathered that trouble started last Friday after a clash between the two cults led to the death of an Aye member.

Sources said the killing was greeted with reprisals, during which casualties were recorded on both sides in various locations of the metropolis.

According to sources, one of the strongmen of Bangas was murdered on Akpodiete Street, Ughelli, while two of his opponents were similarly killed in Ekiugbo.

Another cult member was shot dead on Oghenevwetata Street in Ughelli on Saturday night.

Our correspondent gathered that two of the victims, identified as Frank and Oghenero, were brothers.

They were reportedly trailed to their house at Poyo compound, close to Ataverhe Junction in Ekiugbo-Ughelli, where they were attacked.

Frank and Oghenero, according to sources, were dragged from their room to an uncompleted building in the compound, where they were shot dead.

The gory remains of most of the suspected cultists seen by PUNCH Metrorevealed that some of the men were also cut with machetes in the head and neck.

In a related development, a POS operator in Ughelli community, Celestina Ochuko, was on Sunday robbed and shot in the thigh by two gunmen who swooped on her duty post.

The victim was reportedly shot while resisting attempts by the hoodlums to snatch her bag containing undisclosed amount of cash and other valuables.

It was learnt that Ochuko was rushed to the Central Hospital, Ughelli, for medical attention, while the incident was reported at the ‘A’ Division Police Station in the town.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, could not be reached for comments as of the time of filing this report.