Cultists burn man alive in Rivers, another to die by hanging in Ekiti

Suspected cultists have set ablaze a young man as two cult groups clashed in Alakahia community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. The incident occurred yesterday at 11 am, causing residents of the area to scamper for safety.
In another development, a member of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RETAN), Abednego Ajibola, has been sentenced to death by hanging for killing his colleague. An Ado Ekiti High Court presided over by Justice Lekan Ogunmoye yesterday passed the death sentence on Ajibola for killing Ojo Ogunsakin at Akure Garage, along Ikere Road in Ado Ekiti on March 10, 2017.

It was gathered that members of a cult group had invaded Alakahia, one of the communities hosting University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), in search of their rivals. The cult gang caught the victim, Ibe, for allegedly terrorising the area.
A resident of the community, Michael Wenenda, said Ibe had used chieftaincy tussle after the death of his father, who was the paramount ruler of the community, to unleash terror on the community, which angered members of a rival cult group to go after him.
Wenenda said the cultists set him ablaze and watched him burn to death. It was also gathered that the cult boys, who killed Ibe, held the area hostage after killing their target till a team of policemen arrived the area following distress calls.

Another witness, Emmanuel Chuku, also alleged that some of the policemen, who arrived the area to contain the situation, ran away following a shooting spree by the two cult groups.
The state police public relations officer, Nnamdi Omoni, has confirmed the incident to journalists, but added that he has not been fully briefed on the development.
Meanwhile, Justice Ogunmoye held that evidence before the court found 40-year-old Ajibola guilty of killing Ogunsakin, 42, contrary to Section 316 of Criminal Code Cap C16 Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

In his confessional statement to the police, Ajibola said a brawl broke out between him and the deceased regarding loading arrangement on the said date.
According to Ajibola, he was slapped by the deceased, which provoked him to retaliate by attacking him with a stone and that led to his death as confirmed by other witnesses.