Suspected cultists had on Tuesday killed about three persons in Inen community of Oruk Anam Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State in a fresh attack.
It could be recalled that the community last year was deserted following the persistent attacks and killings of innocent people by cultists in the area which made the state government intervene to bring normalcy to the local government.
The victims of Tuesday’s attack were robbed and killed in their different homes after the hoodlums arrived in the community in a motorcycle convoy.
An eyewitness Johnson Akpakpan who spoke to journalists on Wednesday said the first house they attacked was the residence of Mrs Choice Etuk, a victim in last year’s cult clash who was almost killed but rescued through the intervention of the governor’s wife Dr Martha Udom Emmanuel.
He said the hoodlums accosted Mrs Choice Etuk’s stepson before they killed him and escaped with the victim’s brand new motorcycle.
Akpakpan said the hoodlums suspected to be cultists from neighbouring communities proceeded to Elder Sunday Jumbo’s compound and killed two other victims and bolted with a POS machine.
Another eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said the killing is cult-related as the hoodlums came from neighbouring local government for the operations.
According to him, “I cannot establish whether the group is Debam or Iceland confraternities. But we are suspecting that they are not robbers. If they were robbers, they would have collected the motorcycle, money and POS machine without killing the victims.
“We are shocked that this incident has returned to our community after the whole village was deserted last year because of cult-related killings.
“We are living in fear now Nobody knows what will happen next.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of OrukAnam local government area Hon Kingsley Frank has mobilized all Joint security teams to restore peace in the area.
Also, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Odiko Mcdon has confirmed the incident but explained that there are conflicting reports regarding the number of victims in the said incident.
“There is a conflicting report concerning the number of victims involved. But as a command, we have commenced an investigation to avert more killings. ”
“We are out to establish the cause of the incident. We are determined to ensure that the culprits are brought to book” he said
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