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No fewer than eight people have been confirmed killed as rival cult clashes spread across Benue State.

The spokesperson for the state police command, Udeme Edet, earlier on Thursday, disclosed that two people were killed in a rival cult clash in Jato Aka, Kwande Local Government Area of the state.

Our correspondent reliably learnt on Thursday that the death toll has risen to eight as the clashes spread to the Otukpo, Makurdi and Gboko Local Government Areas of the state in the last few days.

Findings by PUNCH Metro revealed that the rival gang fights, which earlier in the week took place in Otukpo town, where one person was killed, and in Gboko town, where two people were killed about a week ago, remain among the bloodiest in recent times. Punch

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PUNCH Metro gathered from multiple sources that the Otukpo and Gboko incidents could be linked to “control of territory”, spilling into Makurdi and Jato Aka in Kwande on Wednesday, leading to the deaths of three persons in Makurdi and two in Jato Aka.

An eyewitness in one of the communities, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the incident, told PUNCH Metro that the victims of the Makurdi clash were shot at close range during separate attacks that started at about midnight on Wednesday.