A 30-year-old man, Darlington Watson, was stoned to death on Wednesday evening in the Agudama-Epie community of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, following a conflict between two rival cult groups, the Greenlanders and the Bobous.
Reports indicate that Watson, a member of the Greenlanders, who was forcibly removed from a moving commercial tricycle( keke) by members of the opposing group, and was subsequently stoned to death.
The feud between the two cult factions, reportedly stems from a struggle for dominance over the newly established transport terminal in the Igbogene community on the outskirts of Yenagoa, with multiple casualties recorded in recent clashes.
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An eyewitness, who requested anonymity for security reasons, recounted that the attack took place around 5:15 pm, near a Pentecostal church in Agudama-Epie.
The assailants fled the scene before law- enforcement officers arrived, while the deceased’s family promptly retrieved his body for burial.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Musa Mohammed, confirmed the incident, stating that investigations were underway to track down those responsible.
He also cautioned young people against engaging in cultism, and criminal activities.
According to him, the divisional police officer had led a patrol team to the area following reports of the clash, but by the time they arrived, the victim had already succumbed to machete wounds and stoning.
