Cultists have besieged Awa group of villages in Onna local government area of Akwa Ibom state where Governor Udom Emmanuel hails from.
The renewed bloody clashes among rival cult groups which started on Friday had earlier claimed three lives.
The villages mostly affected include the village of Governor Udom Emmanuel, Awa, Afaha Ubium, Ikot Obong Ishiet, Edem Idim and Ikot Asse among other neighbouring villages in the area.
It was gathered that the cultists laid siege on the villages, killed three persons and left many with varying degrees of injuries.
It was learnt that the cult war started two weeks ago between Ku Klan Klux aka KKK or Axe confraternity and Vikings known in local parlance as Ekpat and Ekut over battle of supremacy and the control of disbursed cash given to youths by one of the state government owned industries operating in the community.
A witness, Mr. Sunday Enang, said the cultists operated freely in Awa and made a counter-parade to shame the police who only showed up in their surveillance van and retired to the stations when the battle between the rival cult groups became bloody.
He said the cultists have mounted road blocks to barricade the entrance leading to Governor Emmanuel’s residence and seized motorcycles from the riders passing through that road to neighbouring villages.
“Even residents in Awa, our governor’s village are not spared. We all run away at night and return in the morning. Right now movement is restricted,” he stated.
When our correspondent visited Awa, the hometown of Governor Emmanuel on Sunday, officials of SARs, DSS and soldiers were seen parading the community.
Police spokesman in the state, Odiko Macdon, confirmed that the killings and those injuries adding that nobody has been arrested yet.
“Yes, there is cult clash in Onna though nobody has been arrested for now but three persons have been confirmed dead.
“Investigation is ongoing. Whenever the culprits are arrested we will bring them to book. You know this government has zero tolerance for cultism and we would not condone their activities. We are trying to restore normalcy to the area,” he stated.
