​Cult War in Calabar: 15 feared hacked to death, 36 ‘ cultists’ captured

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     By Emmanuel Unah

Calabar, Cross River State capital, is famously referred to as “Paradise City” occasioned by the idyllic and tranquil atmosphere prevalent in the city. People from far and wide regularly flock to the city, especially during weekends and holidays, to savour the convivial environment and spectacular cuisine which the city offers. However, in recent time, the spate of criminal activities like kidnappings, armed robbery and cultism have spiraled in Calabar which put a question mark on the status of the city as peaceful.

These criminal activities reached a climax in the second week of June when cult groups “murdered’ the peace in Calabar with mindless killings which, not only sent fears in to the heart of residents but also questioned the capacity of security agencies to combat crime in the city. Since the beginning of the year, there have been occasional clashes among cult groups in the city leading to loss of lives and destruction of property, but the scale of the violence that took place during the second of June was the first of its kind in a long while. 

 

Suspects Suspects Like a bolt from the blue, Wednesday, 8th; Thursday, 9th; Friday; 10th and Saturday, 11th June, the peace in the city was shattered as many lives were lost and others maimed in the battle among cult groups operating around the Watt Market and adjoining areas in the central business area of Calabar.

The battle involved cult groups, including Marvians, Ekpatt, Skyloo and Vikings which engaged in a supremacy battle with guns, axes, machetes, and kitchen knives and by the time the dust settled on Sunday morning, about 15 persons had lost their lives. The fight started over the payment of levies by tricycle operators. Since the banning of motorcycle in the city, tricycles have become a major means of short distance transportation ferrying people from one street or zone to another.

They have become lords unto themselves, brazenly disobeying government regulation barring them from operating in certain areas. Meanwhile, various groups have constituted themselves into a notorious force in certain sections of the town by turning major streets into “parks” , particularly around the Watt market to carry and discharge commuters. These groups extort money from other tricycle operators and grant “immunity’ to their members from such extortion which is often the source of fracas among the groups as some tricyclists resist such extortion which then leads to conflict.

The blood bath of the four days started in one of those spots along Egerton Street when two opposing group members were engaged in a fight over a ‘levy” of N50 which a member of one group refused to pay to the other group and, in the ensuring fracas, some people were critically injured. The next day, one of the major characters in the fight, whose name was given as Emmanuel Abuchi, was chased by the other group through several streets until they caught up with him at Palm Street/Mayne Avenue where he was hacked to death.

That killing opened the floodgates of attacks as over the next three days, members of the various groups began hunting members of each other and killings were reported in parts of the city. Edibedibe/Fenton Street, Edibedibe/ Richard Henshaw Street, Mayne Avenue/ Nyong Edem Street, Target/ Academy Street, Mbukpa Junction and Nyahasang village were littered with corpses of combatants in the battle. Since the fight and killings were perpetrated in broad daylight, many people witnessed the scenes live and had to flee for dear lives with many sustaining injuries in the process. One shop operator along Goldie Street was hit and killed by stray bullets. The mayhem coincided with the assumption of duties by a new Police Commissioner in Cross River State, Jimoh Ozi Obe, who, jolted by the tide of events went after the hoodlums. He told Sunday Vanguard that 36 of the hoodlums have been apprehended along with ten armed robbery and kidnap suspects. “We have carried out raids in several cultists hideout and this has paid handsomely as we have arrested about 36 of them along with armed robbery suspects and all of them will soon appear in court”.

He said only two deaths were recorded in the fight and the corpses were in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital mortuary. “But if you say the number of deaths is more, tell us where the other corpses are so that we can go and get them but I know that the ones we saw are just two”, Obe said. The police boss said peace is gradually returning to Calabar and warned miscreants and criminals to stay away from the city because every one of them would soon be arrested and brought to justice. Whether peace is returning to Calabar or not, for now, there is a self-imposed curfew as people close shops at 6.00pm and night clubs and drinking joints are now deserted because people would rather stay in their homes than venture outside to meet the unknown.

Vanguard

 

Entertainment Allure Editorial Viewpoint More Breaking News Translate Select Language​▼ Cult War in Calabar: 15 feared hacked to death, 36 ‘ cultists’ captured On June 19, 20161:04 amIn Crime Alert, NewsComments By Emmanuel Unah Calabar, Cross River State capital, is famously referred to as “Paradise City” occasioned by the idyllic and tranquil atmosphere prevalent in the city. People from far and wide regularly flock to the city, especially during weekends and holidays, to savour the convivial environment and spectacular cuisine which the city offers. However, in recent time, the spate of criminal activities like kidnappings, armed robbery and cultism have spiraled in Calabar which put a question mark on the status of the city as peaceful. These criminal activities reached a climax in the second week of June when cult groups “murdered’ the peace in Calabar with mindless killings which, not only sent fears in to the heart of residents but also questioned the capacity of security agencies to combat crime in the city. Since the beginning of the year, there have been occasional clashes among cult groups in the city leading to loss of lives and destruction of property, but the scale of the violence that took place during the second of June was the first of its kind in a long while. Suspects Suspects Like a bolt from the blue, Wednesday, 8th; Thursday, 9th; Friday; 10th and Saturday, 11th June, the peace in the city was shattered as many lives were lost and others maimed in the battle among cult groups operating around the Watt Market and adjoining areas in the central business area of Calabar. The battle involved cult groups, including Marvians, Ekpatt, Skyloo and Vikings which engaged in a supremacy battle with guns, axes, machetes, and kitchen knives and by the time the dust settled on Sunday morning, about 15 persons had lost their lives. The fight started over the payment of levies by tricycle operators. Since the banning of motorcycle in the city, tricycles have become a major means of short distance transportation ferrying people from one street or zone to another. They have become lords unto themselves, brazenly disobeying government regulation barring them from operating in certain areas. Meanwhile, various groups have constituted themselves into a notorious force in certain sections of the town by turning major streets into “parks” , particularly around the Watt market to carry and discharge commuters. These groups extort money from other tricycle operators and grant “immunity’ to their members from such extortion which is often the source of fracas among the groups as some tricyclists resist such extortion which then leads to conflict. The blood bath of the four days started in one of those spots along Egerton Street when two opposing group members were engaged in a fight over a ‘levy” of N50 which a member of one group refused to pay to the other group and, in the ensuring fracas, some people were critically injured. The next day, one of the major characters in the fight, whose name was given as Emmanuel Abuchi, was chased by the other group through several streets until they caught up with him at Palm Street/Mayne Avenue where he was hacked to death. That killing opened the floodgates of attacks as over the next three days, members of the various groups began hunting members of each other and killings were reported in parts of the city. Edibedibe/Fenton Street, Edibedibe/ Richard Henshaw Street, Mayne Avenue/ Nyong Edem Street, Target/ Academy Street, Mbukpa Junction and Nyahasang village were littered with corpses of combatants in the battle. Since the fight and killings were perpetrated in broad daylight, many people witnessed the scenes live and had to flee for dear lives with many sustaining injuries in the process. One shop operator along Goldie Street was hit and killed by stray bullets. The mayhem coincided with the assumption of duties by a new Police Commissioner in Cross River State, Jimoh Ozi Obe, who, jolted by the tide of events went after the hoodlums. He told Sunday Vanguard that 36 of the hoodlums have been apprehended along with ten armed robbery and kidnap suspects. “We have carried out raids in several cultists hideout and this has paid handsomely as we have arrested about 36 of them along with armed robbery suspects and all of them will soon appear in court”. He said only two deaths were recorded in the fight and the corpses were in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital mortuary. “But if you say the number of deaths is more, tell us where the other corpses are so that we can go and get them but I know that the ones we saw are just two”, Obe said. The police boss said peace is gradually returning to Calabar and warned miscreants and criminals to stay away from the city because every one of them would soon be arrested and brought to justice. Whether peace is returning to Calabar or not, for now, there is a self-imposed curfew as people close shops at 6.00pm and night clubs and drinking joints are now deserted because people would rather stay in their homes than venture outside to meet the unknown.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/cult-war-calabar-15-feared-hacked-death-36-cultists-captured/

Entertainment Allure Editorial Viewpoint More Breaking News Translate Select Language​▼ Cult War in Calabar: 15 feared hacked to death, 36 ‘ cultists’ captured On June 19, 20161:04 amIn Crime Alert, NewsComments By Emmanuel Unah Calabar, Cross River State capital, is famously referred to as “Paradise City” occasioned by the idyllic and tranquil atmosphere prevalent in the city. People from far and wide regularly flock to the city, especially during weekends and holidays, to savour the convivial environment and spectacular cuisine which the city offers. However, in recent time, the spate of criminal activities like kidnappings, armed robbery and cultism have spiraled in Calabar which put a question mark on the status of the city as peaceful. These criminal activities reached a climax in the second week of June when cult groups “murdered’ the peace in Calabar with mindless killings which, not only sent fears in to the heart of residents but also questioned the capacity of security agencies to combat crime in the city. Since the beginning of the year, there have been occasional clashes among cult groups in the city leading to loss of lives and destruction of property, but the scale of the violence that took place during the second of June was the first of its kind in a long while. Suspects Suspects Like a bolt from the blue, Wednesday, 8th; Thursday, 9th; Friday; 10th and Saturday, 11th June, the peace in the city was shattered as many lives were lost and others maimed in the battle among cult groups operating around the Watt Market and adjoining areas in the central business area of Calabar. The battle involved cult groups, including Marvians, Ekpatt, Skyloo and Vikings which engaged in a supremacy battle with guns, axes, machetes, and kitchen knives and by the time the dust settled on Sunday morning, about 15 persons had lost their lives. The fight started over the payment of levies by tricycle operators. Since the banning of motorcycle in the city, tricycles have become a major means of short distance transportation ferrying people from one street or zone to another. They have become lords unto themselves, brazenly disobeying government regulation barring them from operating in certain areas. Meanwhile, various groups have constituted themselves into a notorious force in certain sections of the town by turning major streets into “parks” , particularly around the Watt market to carry and discharge commuters. These groups extort money from other tricycle operators and grant “immunity’ to their members from such extortion which is often the source of fracas among the groups as some tricyclists resist such extortion which then leads to conflict. The blood bath of the four days started in one of those spots along Egerton Street when two opposing group members were engaged in a fight over a ‘levy” of N50 which a member of one group refused to pay to the other group and, in the ensuring fracas, some people were critically injured. The next day, one of the major characters in the fight, whose name was given as Emmanuel Abuchi, was chased by the other group through several streets until they caught up with him at Palm Street/Mayne Avenue where he was hacked to death. That killing opened the floodgates of attacks as over the next three days, members of the various groups began hunting members of each other and killings were reported in parts of the city. Edibedibe/Fenton Street, Edibedibe/ Richard Henshaw Street, Mayne Avenue/ Nyong Edem Street, Target/ Academy Street, Mbukpa Junction and Nyahasang village were littered with corpses of combatants in the battle. Since the fight and killings were perpetrated in broad daylight, many people witnessed the scenes live and had to flee for dear lives with many sustaining injuries in the process. One shop operator along Goldie Street was hit and killed by stray bullets. The mayhem coincided with the assumption of duties by a new Police Commissioner in Cross River State, Jimoh Ozi Obe, who, jolted by the tide of events went after the hoodlums. He told Sunday Vanguard that 36 of the hoodlums have been apprehended along with ten armed robbery and kidnap suspects. “We have carried out raids in several cultists hideout and this has paid handsomely as we have arrested about 36 of them along with armed robbery suspects and all of them will soon appear in court”. He said only two deaths were recorded in the fight and the corpses were in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital mortuary. “But if you say the number of deaths is more, tell us where the other corpses are so that we can go and get them but I know that the ones we saw are just two”, Obe said. The police boss said peace is gradually returning to Calabar and warned miscreants and criminals to stay away from the city because every one of them would soon be arrested and brought to justice. Whether peace is returning to Calabar or not, for now, there is a self-imposed curfew as people close shops at 6.00pm and night clubs and drinking joints are now deserted because people would rather stay in their homes than venture outside to meet the unknown.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/cult-war-calabar-15-feared-hacked-death-36-cultists-captured/