Five killed as cult war rages in Cross River

There was pandemonium at Iboku Street  Calabar South, the Cross River State capital on Monday morning when a young man simply identified as Samuel was shot dead and butchered  with his head hacked off.

The victim is suspected to have belonged to a cult group allegedly called Axe which is reported to be at loggerheads with a rival group, Klans. An eyewitness, 60 years old mobile food vendor, who was present at the scene of the incident, said: “I saw two men jumped out from a commercial tricycle, and refused to pay the driver, but rather brought out machetes and handguns.

“They pounced on one of the two men I wanted to buy food from me.  I abandoned my wares and took to my heels when they used the machetes to smash one of the men’s head.  His companion also ran away.” ALSO READ: Chaos as rival cult groups engage in shooting spree in Surulere Another eye witness, a mechanic who gave his name as Francis Akpan said, “There was stampede when the two men, dressed in black trousers and teeshirts, brandished their machetes and guns.  They severed Samuel’s head after they had shot and machetes.

Earlier at the weekend, one young man identified as Victor was hacked to death at his shop were he sells cooking gas and two others were killed at Mayne Avenue also in Calabar South. Sources say the recent practice where victims are killed and their heads hacked off is to take same to their capon as evidence of the accomplishment of the task assigned them. Several calls made to the state police commissioner, Mr Nkereuwem Akpan and the PRO Irene Igbo were not answered but DSP Irene Ugbo said she is not aware of the killings. Vanguard