Residents flee as cult clash claim 19 lives in Rivers community

At least 19 people have reportedly lost their lives in a renewed cult clash in Obelle Community, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State on Sunday. The violence has caused panic, forcing residents to flee the area in search of safety.

This latest deadly confrontation follows an earlier attack on Wednesday, when unidentified gunmen, believed to be members of a cult group, stormed the community and killed seven people.

Sources say the latest violence was a battle for supremacy between two rival cult groups, Deybam and Icelanders, who resumed hostilities after more than two years of truce. Following Wednesday’s killings, one of the groups retaliated by attacking relatives of their rivals, sparking fresh bloodshed.

A resident, Kingsley, described the chaos: “On Sunday, cultists clashed in our community. Many people have been killed, including innocent ones. The shooting was intense, and people started leaving. About 19 people have been killed.”

He pleaded for government intervention, urging security agencies to stop the cult groups from tearing the community apart.

However, the Rivers State Police Command has confirmed only 10 deaths so far. The command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, linked the clash to a dispute over levies from an oil company operating in the area.

“It is a cult clash between loyalists of Naked Wire and Carol. They are fighting over control of oil company levies. About 10 people have been confirmed dead. No arrests yet, but investigations are ongoing,” she said.