No fewer than five people have been reportedly killed by a suspected cult gang in Gboko and Makurdi Local Government Areas of Benue State.
The incident occurred between Wednesday night and the early hours of Thursday.
While four people were said to have been hacked to death in Gboko town, one other person was reportedly shot dead at the North Bank area of Makurdi, the state capital.
Sources from Gboko town said that the trouble started when two cult gangs in the area engaged in a battle of supremacy, which resulted in the said casualties.
A source explained that the clash started last night and that by the time the dust settled, three persons were found dead at Gbar-Mkar in Gboko East.
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He added that another person, a 21-year-old man, whose name was given as Vershima Bendega, also known as Ter Kwande, was also killed at his uncle’s residence, located at Number 10, Lorkyaa Ako Street in Gboko Central, the same day.
He said the development had unsettled the residents of Gboko, with many shop owners keeping their stores under lock, to forestall further violence.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO),
Catherine Anene, confirmed the report in a short statement, saying three persons have already been arrested in connection with the killings.
Anene said the investigation is ongoing.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)