2 killed, many injured as cult groups clash in Ondo

AT least two persons lost their lives while several others sustained various degrees of injuries in Ondo, headquarters of Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday evening, during a street carnival in the town.

According to an eyewitness, the conflicts between two rival groups suspected to be cultists led to the fracas which claimed the lives of the two.

He said the two groups had earlier engaged in free for all in the evening, where some members of the cult groups were injured, adding that the group renewed the feud between them during the carnival.

He said a member of the cult group was killed and the rival group mobilised in a reprisal to avenge the death of their member, shooting sporadically and thereby, killed a young lady.

He said members of the cult groups wielded weapons including cutlasses, daggers, guns, bottles and knives during the fracas.

He said “they shot sporadically into the air and two people were hit by bullets and died on the spot. Many of the youth hurriedly left the carnival ground while heavy shooting continued between the two rival groups.”

The source identified one of the victims as Ayodeji Afusat, who was shot and found in her pool of blood, saying the young girl died before help could reach her.

It was gathered that it took the intervention of the men of the state police command in Ondo, to restore peace in the area while some security agents were positioned in the area, apparently to guide against breakdown of law and order.

Speaking on the development, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Enuowa police station, Mr Kunle Omisakin, disclosed that two people had been arrested in connection with the matter while his men were combing the town for other members of the cult groups.

He stated that the case had been transferred to the state police headquarters in Akure and said investigation had commenced to unravel those behind the killings.