Gunmen believed to be cultists have allegedly killed a soldier and four others in North Bank, a suburb of Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
The tragic incident occurred on Friday night.
In recent weeks, the North Bank area has been plagued by violent clashes between rival cult groups, leading to significant loss of life and property.
According to eyewitnesses, two of the victims killed on Friday night were innocent young men with no ties to any cult group, falling prey to the rampaging cultists.
Nura Umar, the chairman of the vigilante group Operation Shara in North Bank, reported that four individuals, including a soldier, were killed in separate incidents on Thursday and Friday night.
He said, “These cultists wreaked havoc last night (Friday) between 10 pm and 11 pm, claiming the lives of a soldier and two young men.”
The day before yesterday (Thursday), a suspected cultist was killed while sleeping in his house,” Umar added.
When contacted, Catherine Anene, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, confirmed the presence of cult activities in North Bank.
Anene stated, “Yes, there were cult activities in North Bank, but I am aware of only one person killed, a young civilian. Security operatives have been deployed to the area.”
