Tension engulfed Warri, Delta State, on Saturday following a violent clash between Itsekiri and Urhobo youths at the popular Okere Roundabout.
The groups reportedly exchanged gunfire and attacked one another, leaving several people injured.
According to SaharaReporters, a video obtained by the platform showed armed youths engaging in open confrontation while bystanders fled for safety.
Eyewitnesses alleged that some police officers were present at the early stage of the clash but failed to intervene.
However, armed operatives of the Nigeria Police Force later stormed the scene, firing tear gas to disperse the rival groups.
Several individuals were said to have sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. The exact number of casualties could not be immediately confirmed.
As of press time, the Delta State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Government has sealed multiple properties linked to suspected cult leaders following the discovery of a shrine in Egbaen community and a violent confrontation in Evboyare that claimed a life.
The coordinated operation, codenamed “Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers”, was led by the coordinator of the Edo State Government’s Special Security Squad, Idemudia Noah, in collaboration with allied security agencies.
Acting on intelligence reports, operatives stormed a residence in Egbaen, Egor Local Government Area, in the early hours of Wednesday, August 20, 2025. Though the building was unoccupied, a search uncovered a secluded shrine at the rear of the premises.
Inside, officers found a white casket and fetish items believed to have been used for initiation rituals and other clandestine activities.
In swift response, the Edo State Government ordered the immediate sealing of the property.
Simultaneously, security forces moved to Evboyare community in Uhunmwode Local Government Area, which had been the scene of a bloody clash between rival confraternities, the Eiye and Maphite, leaving one person, identified as Festus, dead.
The residence of the alleged Maphite leader, Felix Aigbedion, was sealed after intelligence linked him to the crisis.
Aigbedion, now declared wanted, is believed to have masterminded the assault during a community dispute that spiralled into cult violence.
By the time operatives arrived, Evboyare lay in desolation. Homes, vehicles, and personal property bore the marks of destruction, while spent cartridges littered the ground; grim evidence of the crossfire that terrorised residents and forced families to flee.
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