No fewer than eight persons have been killed in a deadly supremacy battle between rival cult groups across parts of Benue State, including Makurdi, the state capital, and Jato Aka, in Kwande Local Government Area, in what security sources described as a fierce fight for territorial control.
The bloody clashes, which have spread across several towns in the state, are believed to be among the deadliest cult-related confrontations in recent times. The violence had earlier erupted in Otukpo town, where one person was killed, and in Gboko town, where two persons were murdered, all reportedly linked to a fierce battle over control of territory.
Sources disclosed that the Otukpo and Gboko incidents, which occurred a few days ago, spilled into Makurdi and Jato Aka in Kwande LGA on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of three persons in Makurdi and two others in Jato Aka.
An eyewitness narrated that the victims in Makurdi were shot at close range during separate attacks that began around midnight.
He added: “After shooting them, their attackers vanished into thin air. We learned there were earlier separate fights in Gboko and Otukpo also. Human life is worth nothing to those behind these clashes and killings. This is sad.”
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of Makurdi Local Government Area, Mr. Joseph Keffi, strongly condemned what he described as the “senseless killing of three persons by unknown cult groups at Wurukum in Walomayo Council Ward of Makurdi LGA.”
In a statement issued by his Media Aide, Nathaniel Mayorofmbawa, the chairman decried the killings while addressing communities in the area through his Special Adviser on Security and Political Matters, Mr. Mark Terhide.
Extending his condolences to the bereaved families and communities mourning their loved ones, Keffi assured residents of the council’s firm commitment to ensuring peace in the area.