Africa-Press – Nigeria. There is apprehension among residents of Wadata and Iniongun communities in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, following a series of violent clashes between rival cult groups that have left two persons killed, several people injured and properties destroyed.
The latest incident occurred around 9pm on Tuesday, in Iniongun area, where a well-armed cult group launched a coordinated attack, targeting houses believed to be sheltering leaders of a rival cult faction, setting multiple homes ablze
Eyewitnesses said the attackers carried out simultaneous assaults on multiple locations. Tragically, the houses torched did not belong to the alleged cult leaders but to innocent landlords and tenants who had unknowingly rented their properties to persons now being hunted.
The violent clashes are believed to have been triggered by an earlier incident at Wadata during the wake-keep of a retired ex-army officer identified as Odoba Edoh.
During the event, gunmen suspected to be members of a cult group opened fire, killing three members of a rival group and injuring another who is now receiving treatment in a Makurdi hospital.
The killings sparked reprisal attacks. On Tuesday morning, two suspected cult members linked to the wake-keep shooting were macheted near the Rice Mill area of Wadata. They escaped with life-threatening injuries.
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