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Asaba - TWO suspected cultists were gunned down by the police while four others were arrested in the early hours of Saturday in.....
Asaba - TWO suspected cultists were gunned down by the police while four others were arrested in the early hours of Saturday in Asaba following a fierce gun battle between the police team and a group of cultists who were said to be regrouping to unleash another round of mayhem in the city.
Residents of Asaba had been under siege by frequent clashes by cult gangs but heaved a sigh of relief since ugly incident subsided over a forth night ago. However with the combined effort of the policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of ‘‘A'' Division in conjunction with members of the community vigilance group, the purported intended operation by the cult group was nipped in the bud.
Reports said that following intelligent report, the police and the town's vigilance group dashed to Jesus Saves axis of the town where they were said to be regrouping which resulted to opening of fire by the suspected cultists and in retaliation according to report, two of the cultists were gunned down, four picked up while two others were said to have escaped with AK 47 rifles each. The bodies of the killed cult members were displayed at the Police A Division Asaba along Nnebisi Road where a large crowd surged to catch glimpse of them.
State Police Commissioner, Mr. Udom Ekpoudom confirmed the incident when Vanguard called him on phone yesterday afternoon.
The CP told our reporter that 'they were cultists but I thank God that they were promptly caged before any harm could be done", adding that 'we (police) have declared a total war against cultism in Asaba and in the state in general . Let me tell you, those that fled can run but they cannot run far. We have spread our dragnet already to catch them" he assured.
Only on Wednesday last week when the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Mike Okiro Okiro was in Asaba in continuation of his working visit round the police formation in the South-South zone and visited the Asaba of Asaba, Obi Joseph Chike Edozien. The Asagba at that occasion lamented that the activities of the cultists had brought misery saying that it was the cooperation of the state police command led by CP Udom Ekpoudom and the vigilante group set up by the community to tackle the situation that brought the situation under control.