2 Die as Cult Clashes Mar Christmas Celebration

Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State

From Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu

The on-going yuletide celebrations in the university town of Nsukka in Enugu state was marred by violent clashes by rival cult groups which reportedly claimed two lives.

THISDAY checks revealed that most residents spent the Christmas indoors for fear of being maimed by the violent cult members who unleashed terror in the town.

It was gathered that the blood-letting began on December 23 when one of the groups killed a member of another group at Orba road in the town while the second killing took place on the Christmas day along Aku road where some gunmen attacked and killed another member who was identified simply as Killer.

The said ‘killer’ was reportedly trailed to a spot along the popular road and felled instantly by the assaillants bullets.

He was said to have been deformed by polio attack, a situation which made him walk with aid of clutches.

An eyewitness also revealed that after the first killing, some gunmen suspected to have struck at the Orba road, scene of the incident escaped to a densely populated Ameze lane in the town and took refuge in the apartment of a woman where they had forcefully entered by brandishing their  weapons to cow their host into keeping quiet as she initially raised the alarm.

Residents of the town were seen discussing the state of insecurity in hushed tones yesterday  as they were also gripped with fears.

It was further gathered that some certain hotels and guests houses had to cancel some of their leisure programmes planned for the yuletide season because  guests were scared away from the area.

Efforts to speak with the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, on the development, could not yield anything positive but a senior police officer attached to Nsukka Area Command confirmed that the police got wind of the incidents and had since beefed up security to ensure that the celebrations were hitch-free in the area