Akwa Ibom cult war claims 3

Three persons have been killed in Eket, Akwa Ibom state, in the past four days in a renewed cult war in the city.
Eket, which has significant presence of workers of Mobil Producing Nigeria, a subsidiary of the American oil giant, ExxonMobil, is among the four local government areas mostly affected by perennial cultkillings and related violence in the state.
The latest killings, which started over the weekend, is said to be as a result of a clash between two rival cult groups, the Vikings, and the Black Axe.
The police spokesperson in Akwa Ibom state, Odiko MacDon, confirmed the killing in an interview with our correspondent yesterday.
A contract worker with Mobil is said to be among those killed.
He was reportedly shot in the head at close range while drinking at a pub, somewhere in the city.
Sixteen persons have been arrested in connection with the killing, said MacDon, a deputy superintendent of police.
“We are yet to get to the bottom of it to know the extent of their culpability.
They will be profiled and we will determine who are actually connected with it.
Those culpable will be charged to court,” the police spokesperson said, adding that the situation in the town had been brought under control.
He added that “there’s more police visibility in the town; the commissioner of police yesterday deployed more policemen to the town.” A journalist in Eket said the cult clash was traceable to Heritage Polytechnic, Ikot Udota, which is a few kilometres away from the city centre.
A female student of the polytechnic also told Premium Times that she left Eket for Uyo, the state capital, on Thursday because of the fear that violence could erupt in the school.
The polytechnic, however, denied any connection between it and the killing.
“We don’t have any problem with the cult clash that is going on,” said the Rector of the school, Udoyiu Udoyiu.
“Information reaching us has it that the incident took place in Eket main town which is 10 kilometres away from the school.
Apart from that, we don’t have any report that our students were involved in the clash.” The rector said the school had zero tolerance for cultism and that the school premises is “heavily fortified.” “Once we find out that you are involved in it, we send you out of the school,” he said

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