No fewer than 15 persons have been arrested by the Kogi State Police Command following cult clashes that claimed the lives of four persons on Monday night in the Kabawa area of Lokoja, the state capital.
It was reliably gathered that the crisis started on Monday night as two rival groups between the ages of 13, 14, and 15 years old engaged themselves in free for all fights which led to the killing and burning of houses in the area.
The crisis saw residents moving their families from the area to better-secured places to avoid being engulfed in the crisis.
An insider disclosed that the crisis is a result of a reprisal attack by another group following the killing of one of their member few months ago and fled but returned last week.
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The rival group were said to have immediately mobilised for a reprisal attack.
The sources added that the cultists who were armed with guns and other dangerous weapons invaded some houses, attacked people, and burned houses they believe belong to members of rival groups.
However, when the police stormed the area on Tuesday to calm down the situation, some of the cultists engaged the security agent in a gun battle which lasted for several hours before they were overpowered.
Some members of the cultists jumped into the river Niger to avoid being arrested and then swim to the other side of the river bank.
Meanwhile, the command’s Public Relations Officers, SP William Aya, while confirming the incident said 15 suspects have been arrested by the command.
He added that only one person can have been confirmed dead, adding that the police are still investigating what led to the incident.
Meanwhile, the State Government warned that it will take proactive actions against whoever is involved in the crisis.
The Kogi State Security Adviser, Commander Duro Jerry Omodara (Rtd), who also confirmed the incident, warned cultists and other miscreants fomenting trouble in the state to desist from the act.
Omodara in a chat with our correspondent said, “Be rest assured that Gov. Bello will deal decisively with cultism in Kabawa.
“We will arrest the situation and I assure you that we’ve moved into the area and made tremendous progress after enough intelligence gathering.
“We’ve identified the culprits having extensively discussed it at the Security council. We’ve gone deep into the matter but be rest assured that Gov. Bello is resolved that people must live in peace and go about their lawful business.
The special adviser, however, assured the people of Lokoja and other parts of the state that the present administration will not shirk its responsibilities in fighting crime be it armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism.
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