News
Residents flee Makurdi suburb as rival cult groups exchange gunshots, burn houses
By Aboje Anefu, Makurdi
Not less than five houses were burnt on Wednesday at the Adeke area of Mobile Barracks in Makurdi, the Benue State capital after some youths suspected to be members of rival cult groups clashed.
The violence extended to Thursday with exchange of gun shorts causing several residents to flee their homes.
Sources from the area disclosed to newsmen that trouble started around 12 noon of the fateful day when some youths attacked somebody suspected to be a member of a rival cult group around the Adem community closed to Adeke Community.
It was further gathered that cult members of the attacked victim on hearing the news, immediately mobilzed and went on reprisal.
Within a short while, the situation degenerated leading to shooting and burning of houses while shop owners closed their shops and parents ran to pick their wards from schools.
It was gathered that security personnel, including police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC and DSS who were deployed to the area that afternoon could not do much as the youths had already set houses ablaze before their arrival.
“The crisis continued throughout the night till early hours of Thursday with heavy shooting and burning of houses in Adeke area. We couldn’t sleep at all. My children and I were so afraid because of the sporadic shooting last night,” said a resident of Adeke who did not want her identity disclosed.
When contacted, Chairman of Makurdi Local Council, Anthony Dyege, said appreciate steps have been taken to contain the situation as police have been drafted to the area to maintain law and order.
However, efforts to confirm the incident from the Police Public Relations Officer PPRO, SP Catherine Anene, who is said to be out of town proved abortive as she could not be reached on phone.
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