Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, David Omereji, has placed a bounty of N30million on suspected cultists terrorizing Obelle community.
The action follows the cult war that broke out among rival cult groups in the community, which claimed several lives.
On Wednesday the local government chairman announced a ₦10 million reward for anyone with credible information that can lead to the arrest of those responsible for the cult violence, and another N20 million reward for any security agency that arrests the hoodlums.
Omereji condemned the violence and the death of 19 persons on Sunday, and vowed that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
Another account has it that the crisis started last Wednesday, when unidentified gunmen believed to be members of a cult group invaded the community and murdered seven people.
While the community was still reeling from the pain of the incident, on Sunday morning, the two cult groups in the area, the Deybam and Icelanders resumed their battle for supremacy after over two years of peace
After the Wednesday’s killings, the group whose members were killed regrouped and on Sunday, invaded Obelle community and attacked close relatives of members of the rival cult group.
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Some locals however blamed the chairman of the local government, for allegedly patronizing one faction in the crisis, wondering how he could declare those behind the crisis wanted when he knows them and what they are capable of doing.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the outbreak of violence and the death of 10 persons, which she blamed occurred over the struggle for the collection of levies from the oil company operating in the community.
She stated that “it is a cult clash between loyalists of Naked Wire and Carol. They are fighting over the control of levies from an oil company operative in the area. About 10 people are confirmed dead, but no arrest has yet been made as investigation is ongoing.”
