Cult war leaves 8 dead in Benue

Panic and fear have enveloped residents of Makurdi, the Benue State capital, following a deadly clash between suspected rival cult groups that reportedly claimed no fewer than 10 lives and left several others injured.

The violence, which occurred between late Sunday and the early hours of Monday, was concentrated around the High-Level and Wurukum areas of the town. Residents described the attacks as coordinated and brutal, forcing many families to flee their homes for safety.

The latest killings came barely one week after another cult-related attack in the Agwan Jukun area of Makurdi, where three persons lost their lives, raising fresh concerns over the growing wave of insecurity in the state capital.

Eyewitnesses said armed youths riding on motorcycles stormed parts of the town, including Owerri Street and Onitsha Street, targeting specific individuals believed to be linked to rival cult groups.

One resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attackers moved from one location to another between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., unleashing terror on unsuspecting victims.

“At Owerri Street, some young men arrived on motorcycles and shot a man who was sitting outside his house chatting with friends,” the eyewitness recounted.

“They also attacked a popular shoemaker on Onitsha Street near City Bay and killed him in his residence.

“In another compound in High-Level, eight people were killed. Four of them were reportedly the actual targets, while the others died simply because they were around them.”

The witness added that the attackers fired sporadically into the air, creating chaos and confusion across the area before escaping.

“As soon as the shooting started, people began running for safety. Many residents abandoned their homes overnight because nobody knew where the attackers would strike next,” he said.

Confirming the incident, Chairman of Makurdi Local Government Area, Mr. Joseph Keffi, described the killings as tragic and unacceptable.

According to him, preliminary reports indicated that the violence was linked to cult rivalry involving a suspected cult member who had reportedly fled from the North Bank area of Makurdi to seek refuge in High-Level after falling out with his group.

“What I gathered was that a cult member escaped from North Bank after disagreements with members of his group and went to stay with a friend in High-Level,” Keffi explained.

“Unfortunately, because his friends and relatives accommodated him, they became targets and were killed despite not being cult members.”

The council chairman disclosed that four victims were reportedly called out from a compound where they were sleeping and shot dead, while four others who responded after hearing gunshots were also killed.

He further revealed that another body was later recovered from one of the attack scenes.

Keffi expressed concern over what he described as the activities of a notorious criminal figure allegedly terrorising Makurdi and other parts of Benue State.

“There is a man identified as one of those behind these attacks. He comes into town, carries out deadly operations and disappears without a trace,” he alleged.

“This is somebody who was once arrested and later released. We are calling on security agencies to ensure he is rearrested.”

The council chairman said security agencies, vigilante groups and Civil Protection Guards had intensified patrols in vulnerable parts of Makurdi to prevent further attacks.

He added that security operatives swiftly responded to the incident and cordoned off the affected areas, although the attackers had already fled before arrests could be made.

Sources said the bodies of the victims were deposited at the morgues of the Benue State University Teaching Hospital and Madonna Hospital.

Meanwhile, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ifeanyi Emenari, confirmed the incident but stated that the police had so far recorded six deaths.