No fewer than four persons have been killed while about five houses were burned down as a result of cultism in Kabawa, a native area in Lokoja, the state capital.
Tribune Online reliably gathered that the crisis started on Monday night as two rival groups aged 13 to 15 years old engaged themselves in free for all fight which led to the killing and burning of houses in the area.
The crisis saw residents moving their families from the area to better-secured places to avoid being engulfed in the crisis.
An insider disclosed that the crisis is a result of a reprisal attack by another group following the killing of one of their member.
The sources added that the cultists who were armed with guns and other dangerous weapons invaded some houses, attack people and burned houses they believe belong to rival groups.
However, when the police stormed the area on Tuesday to calm down the situation, some of the cultists engaged the security agent in a gun battle that lasted for several hours before they were overpowered.
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Some members of the cultists jumped into River Niger to avoid being arrested and then swim to the other side.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command Public Relations Officers, SP William Aya, while confirming the incident said 15 suspects have been arrested by the command.
He added that presently the command can only confirm that one person was killed and that they are still investigating what led to the incident.
He noted that the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Edward Ebuka, had brought the situation under control.
The Kogi State Security Adviser, Commander Duro Jerry Omodara (Rtd), has warned cultists and other miscreants fomenting trouble in traditional areas of Lokoja to be ready for the government’s onslaught as it has vowed not to allow anybody to rubbish its successes in the area of security.
The Special Adviser in a chat with newsmen warned that henceforth anybody who feels he’s powerful should again try the government, promised that irrespective of how highly placed the person would be dealt with decisively.
According to the Special Adviser, “Be rest assured that Gov Bello will deal decisively with cultism in Kabawa.
“We will arrest the situation and I assure you that we’ve moved into the area and made tremendous progress after enough intelligence gathering.
“We’ve identified the culprits having extensively discussed it at the security council. We’ve gone deep into the matter but be rest assured that Gov Bello is resolved that people must live in peace and go about their lawful business,” he said.
The Special Adviser assured the people of Lokoja and other parts of the state that the present administration will not shirk its responsibilities in fighting crime be it armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism.
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Four persons killed, houses set ablaze as cultists clash in Kogi
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