Military officer, three other killed by suspected cult members
Four people, including a soldier, were killed in a series of attacks by suspected cultists on Friday night in Makurdi’s North Bank area, marking the latest chapter in a troubling spike of violence between rival cult factions in the region.
The killings come after weeks of escalating tension and violent confrontations between cult groups.
Eyewitnesses say that the two young men who were killed alongside the soldier were not affiliated with any cult, but were tragically caught in the crossfire of the ongoing violence. The attacks unfolded between 10 and 11 p.m. near the BIPC area, where gunmen, believed to be cult members, went on a deadly rampage.
Nura Umar, Chairman of the Vigilante Group “Operation Shara” in North Bank, confirmed the tragic incident, revealing that the two young men and the soldier were slain in separate attacks on Thursday and Friday nights. He stated, “The cultists caused chaos last night (Friday). A soldier and two young men were killed.
The boys were not cultists, but the attackers were suspected cult members.”
Umar further explained that on Thursday night, a suspected cultist was killed in his sleep at his residence. “That person (on Thursday) was believed to be a cultist, but the other victims were innocent,” Umar added.
While police spokesperson Catherine Anene confirmed the increase in cult-related activity in North Bank, she provided a slightly different account of the fatalities, stating that only one civilian was confirmed dead, not four. She also reassured the public that additional security personnel had been deployed to the area in response to the growing violence.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the ongoing cult clashes in Makurdi, with law enforcement working to quell the surge in violence and restore order to the affected neighborhoods.
