Okuni Community in Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State has been thrown into turmoil following a brutal cult clash that claimed the lives of two young men, both of whom were beheaded in what residents described as a horrifying escalation of violence.
The victims, identified as Cornel Orim and his ally Zenge, were members of the Vikings confraternity. They were reportedly killed in a reprisal attack carried out by the rival Klansmen group after the murder of Alobi Nsor, a Klansman loyalist.
Orim, believed to have masterminded Nsor’s killing, had been hiding since the incident. Sources said he was eventually traced to his farm plantation deep in the forest, where he and Zenge were ambushed, executed, and beheaded by suspected Klansmen.
Community members described Orim as a feared figure whose notoriety extended beyond rival cult groups to members of his own confraternity. His violent reputation, according to locals, had made him a marked man long before the reprisal.
Read also:
- Cross River intensifies campaigns to curb HIV/AIDS spread
- Cross River begins solar electrification of 10,000 homes
- Police arrest village head, 4 others over murder of herder in Cross River
“The death of Orim has brought some form of relief not only to the Klansmen but also to members of his own group,” one resident disclosed. “But the community is now living in fear, waiting for the next wave of violence as both groups are known for bloody reprisals.”
The killings have heightened tension in Okuni, with families and traders shutting their doors early as residents brace for possible counterattacks in the days ahead.
Security operatives are yet to issue an official statement on the renewed cult violence that has left the once peaceful community on edge.
