Panic has gripped the Wadata area of Makurdi, Benue State, following a brutal clash between rival cult groups that claimed four lives and left several others with gunshot and axe wounds.
The violence, which erupted on Sunday morning, was reportedly a territorial battle between members of the Red and Black cult groups.
Witnesses recounted how chaos spread across the area as gunshots rang out and bodies were left in different locations.
According to residents, two victims were hacked to death near the riverside, another was shot at the Wadata police barracks, and a fourth person was gunned down at the local rice mill.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the horror: “I had just stepped out to borrow a pressing iron around 11 a.m. when gunfire erupted. Later,
“I was told that Vicks and his friend had been killed. I had no idea he was involved in cult activities.”
The violence reportedly escalated in the evening when suspected cultists stormed a meeting at the Wadata police barracks, killing a man identified as Emeka before moving to the rice mill, where they executed another individual.
With fear gripping the community, many residents have fled their homes.
“The entire area is deserted. We need urgent police intervention before more lives are lost,” another resident pleaded.
Despite the rising tension, the Benue State Police Command has remained silent on the incident, as its spokesperson, CSP Catherine Anene, did not respond to calls or messages seeking comments.