Suspected cultists shoot rival dead during Delta CP’s visit to Warri

Assailants, suspected to be cultists, on Wednesday afternoon, shot a rival cult suspect dead in his bed at Ugbori community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Reports say the deceased youth was killed at about 2:30 p.m in his house coinciding with the time the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Muhammed Ali, and his entourage which included the command’s PPRO, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, were on a working tour of the Warri Area Command.

The entourage was meeting with the rank and file of the force as well as security stakeholders at the Warri Area Command between 12 noon and 4:00 pm when the gunmen carried out their dastardly act.

Cult-related killings have become a recurring in recent times in the oil-rich state especially in Sapele, Warri and Ughelli axis with rival cults of young boys targeting and killing one another in cold blood.

The assailants reportedly arrived the house of Ekpo, the deceased, in an ash-coloured Toyota Camry car, shot him dead in his bed and fled the scene.

The deceased, Ekpo Kperegbeyi, believed to belong to a rival cult, was said to have his leader and mentor also killed a fortnight ago in Warri.

It was further gathered that before he was killed, Ekpo was alleged to have partaken in a revenge mission where four suspected cultists were hacked to death last week. He was reportedly counselled to relocate for his life, but refused.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that police operatives from “A” Division Police Headquarters, Warri, who arrived the scene shortly after the incident, conveyed the remains of Ekpo to a morgue.

CP Ali had, during the working tour to Warri Area Command on Wednesday, warned criminals, especially kidnappers and cultists to relocate from the state or be ready for a showdown with his men.