…Residents flee in fear as suspected cult groups renew attacks in Yenagoa communities
YENAGOA — Residents of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, have been thrown into fear following the discovery of a mutilated corpse stuffed in a sack and abandoned near a bank, in an incident suspected to be linked to a bloody cult rivalry.
The body, whose identity had yet to be established, was reportedly found in front of a First City Monument Bank (FCMB) branch at Obele Junction, on the outskirts of the state capital.
Sources said the killing occurred on Monday night, while the corpse was discovered on Tuesday morning. The sack, reportedly soaked in blood, was said to have been abandoned at the location.
Investigations indicated that the deceased was allegedly a former member of the Greenlanders cult group who defected to a rival group known as the Bobos.
He was reportedly accused of leading members of his new group on a loyalty mission to attack and kill a member of the Greenlanders at the back of Amarata.
Sources further alleged that members of the Greenlanders, angered by the attack, lured him out through a woman before killing him with several machete cuts.
Some residents of Obele confirmed the discovery, saying concerned youths and local vigilantes alerted the police, who subsequently evacuated the corpse.
The incident has reportedly heightened tension across Sand Road, Arietalin, GweGwe and Obele streets, where residents have endured restless nights amid fears of renewed attacks by rival cult groups searching for one another.
The killing has also raised fresh concerns over security in the state capital, with residents worried that the renewed cult violence could undermine the relative peace recorded in recent times.
As of the time of filing this report, the identity of the deceased and the circumstances surrounding the killing had yet to be officially confirmed by the police.
