Five Dead In Cult Attack In Delta As Local Bread Vendors Shut Shops

Five persons have been killed in a rival cult battle in Asaba, the Delta state capital following the murder of a local bread seller by unidentified gunmen suspected to be cultists.

It was gathered that the deceased, simply identified as Aboy Sidi was killed at his shop and left at the pool of his blood by his assailants about 6:38 pm on Thursday last week at the popular Ibusa junction, Nnebisi road.

It was also gathered that the rival cult clash ensued between Black axe and 2-2 confraternity which started seven days ago had claimed the lives of five persons.

It was learnt that the Black axe confraternity in preparation to bury their member (hitman) on Friday who was earlier murdered on Monday, hit back and revenged.

The clash is said to have claimed five lives in a week. Two persons reported to have been killed in Bonssac, another two in Umuagwu while one was killed at Ibusa junction on Friday in Asaba.

One of the residents of Asaba who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said " in a week five persons have been killed. This one they killed yesterday (Thursday) was the fifth person. We are afraid of unknown"

"I heard that they are burying one of their members today (Friday), as I speak to you now, we don't know what will happen next. We the resident are not safe. Imagine how busy place Ibusa junction is, unknown gun men came, killed somebody at the poll of his blood and zoom off without hindrance" he said

It was also gathered that the deceased a bread seller was at his shop when the suspected cultists who came with tricycle (Keke) with four occupants on marsk opened fire and shot sporadically in the air to scare their perceived enemies before pumping several bullets into his head of their enemy at close rang.

The incident that occurred near the deceased house attracted his wife who storm the scene lying unconscious with the husband, took the intervention of policemen to restore normalcy before taking the corps away.

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, who confirmed the development said that the body of the deceased has been deposited at the mortuary, saying investigation are ongoing to bring the perpetrators to book.