At least five persons have been reported dead following a violent surge in rival cult clashes across Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, over the weekend.The renewed hostilites, involving two long-standing rival groups—the Bobos and the Greenlanders—broke out across several neighborhoods, including Agudama, Obele, and the Back of St. Peters axis.
Local sources disclosed that a youth was brutally killed and beheaded during a target attack in Agudama, while another victim sustained gunshot injuries to the buttocks before being rescued by a neighbor. The condition of the injured victim remains unconfirmed.The fresh wave of violence has effectively shattered a previous peace accord brokered among cult groups in the state.
While the immediate trigger for the latest clash remains unconfirmed, residents report that tensions between the Bobos and Greenlanders have remained volatile despite past peace initiatives.A check around key business hubs and residential zones—including Imgbi Road, Ovom, and Obele—showed a noticeable drop in youth movement, as fear of police raids and potential reprisal attacks kept residents on edge.
Confirming the incident, the Bayelsa State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Musa Mohammed, stated on Tuesday that several suspects have been taken into custody and law enforcement has restored order in the affected neighborhoods.”Suspects have been arrested, and law and order has since been restored,” DSP Mohammed confirmed.In response to the killings, the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, CP Ajao Saka Adewale, has ordered an immediate expansion of anti-cultism operations across the state.
Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and tactical commanders have been directed to scale up patrols in high-risk zones, act on early intelligence, and dismantle planned initiation or recruitment activities.
The Command emphasized that it is working closely with community stakeholders to defuse sub-surface tensions before they escalate into open violence.Issuing a stern warning to cult leaders and their political or financial backers, the Commissioner declared that the police force would operate with zero tolerance.
“There will be no sacred cows,” the Command warned in a formal statement. “Anyone reasonably suspected of organizing, financing, facilitating, or participating in cult-related crimes will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted irrespective of status or influence.
“The police reminded the public that under the Bayelsa State Secret Cults/Societies and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law of 2012 (as amended in 2018), membership, sponsorship, and facilitation of secret cult activities carry strict criminal penalties upon conviction.
Parents and guardians are urged to counsel their wards against cult involvement, while residents are advised to report suspicious gatherings or threat intelligence to the nearest police station rather than taking the law into their own hands.
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