Four persons were yesterday feared killed at different locations during two rival cult groups clash over alleged debt recovery in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
It was gathered yesterday that the victims, members of Aye and Bagger confraternities, were shot dead within 24 hours respectively.
Trouble, it was learnt, started when a victim allegedly sold hard drugs to rival cult member who refused to pay and in attempt to recover his money, a fight broke out which attracted other members of the rival cult groups.
According to a local source, “One of the victims sold a hard drug to his rival cult group member without payment, and in the course of recovering his money, issues broke out between them.
“The man met his debtor that belonged to one of the cult groups requesting for his money, and in the process, he was beaten up mercilessly.
“Less than 24 hours later, the guy that was beaten saw his debtor in a lonely area and he immediately broke his head with unidentified objects in retaliation of the previous attack on him.
“Pained by the retaliation, both groups mobilised their members against them and the brutal killings started in Ughelli metropolis.”
It was gathered that the crisis started last Thursday while the killing began between Saturday and Sunday. Two persons were killed at Okogbe axis of Otovwodo.
The source said further that: “The other two were killed around Iwhreko and Ogor parks respectively last Sunday morning and it has been a guerrilla warfare between the two groups.”
The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Edafe Bright, could not be reached for confirmation but a senior security source from the command confirmed the incident.