No fewer than five persons have been killed following a violent clash between two rival cult groups in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, according to the state police command.
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The incident occurred on Saturday night when the gunmen invaded Abuja housing estate, in Ahoada main town, in search of rival cult members after an earlier attack.
Two of the five persons killed were identified as Chukwujeku Kingsley (36) and Chibuike ThankGod (25 years).
Meanwhile, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Superintendent of Police (SP) Grace Iringe-Koko, while confirming the killing disclosed that the incident was reported by Eze Noble of Ahoada Town at about 7:30 am on Sunday, that there was a cult clash between two gangs, which occurred at the estate (Abuja Housing Estate) close to Immigration Training School, Ahoada.
According to Daily Sun, a shoot-out ensued between the invaders suspected to be members of Greenlander cult gang and their rival, Iceland, which resulted in the deaths of five persons.
Community sources disclosed that by Sunday morning corpses littered around the estate.
A resident in the neighbourhood, who gave his name as Mike Opeye, informed that residents scampered for safety and many others remained indoors for fear of being caught by stray bullets.
He disclosed that there was no security presence for over two hours the shooting lasted, adding that residents of the estate and its environs had deserted the place for fear of a reprisal attack.
It was gathered that Iceland and Greenland cult groups have been involved in supremacy and territorial control battle in the past months with over twelve persons reportedly killed.
Also, it was learnt that, before the arrival of the police, three of the corpses were reportedly removed by their family members for burial, while ThankGod and another yet-to-be-identified corpse were deposited at Okpeden Mortuary in Ula Ehuda community.
