Five people have been killed in a renewed cult war in Jesse, Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State.
It was gathered that the victims were killed between Sunday and Wednesday when two cult groups clashed in the oil producing area.
It was gathered that four people were killed at Boboroku and Irodo communities of Idjerhe kingdom. Another victim, a motorcyclist, popularly known as Okada rider, was shot dead along the road on Sunday night.
Community sources told our Correspondent that the current war may not be unconnected with a battle of supremacy between two rival cult groups.
One source, yesterday, said the killings were connected to unending rivalry by two cult groups ‘but this killing was something else, two of the five people who were killed were vigilantes and an Okada rider’.
A resident, who preferred anonymity, said: “It is becoming a monthly thing. It’s always cult killings. Youths are being killed in their prime and we want action on this.”
Sources said that security agencies are becoming handicapped over the incessant cult war in the area because, “the boys involved in these cult wars have political godfathers, hence, the police have not been able to effect any arrest since the mindless killing started over a year ago.
“One of the victims of the recent killing is a loyalist of a prominent politician from the local government, so, we don’t want to join in their fight.
“Its a cult related matter, my brother, and we are doing everything to curb it; as I talk to you, security is on ground, and we have restored sanity in that area,” the Delta state police spokesman, DSP Edafe Bright, said, when contacted on phone.
When contacted, the Monarch of Idjerhe kingdom, His Royal Majesty, King Monday Obukowho Whiskey (JP), who spoke in a telephone conversation, said that he had since placed a curse on cultists in his domain, saying those engaging in cultism would continue to suffer calamity.
“I have since banned cultism in my domain and those still carrying out activities of cultism will suffer. It’s only one community that has cultists’ unrest and not the entire Idjerhe kingdom. I am speaking from my palace and residents are going about their normal businesses, so there is no issue of people fleeing Jesse as being posted on social media,” he said.
He said that one of the youths allegedly sponsoring the cult war has been arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the state police command.
