Five Killed in Aba Cult Clash, Businesses Shut Down in Panic

A deadly cult clash has left five young men dead in Aba North and South local government areas of Abia State. The violence, which erupted in various parts of the city, has created panic among residents and forced businesses to shut down.

The affected areas include Nkoro, Cemetery Road, Nwankpa, Ehime, Osusu, Ama Ognonna, and Erondu. According to reports, two individuals were killed last week, prompting a retaliatory attack in which three members of a rival group were murdered around Nkoro.

Eyewitnesses recounted that one of the victims, a twin, was attacked after stepping out of a commercial tricycle with his girlfriend and a male friend, who was also part of the same cult group. The assailants, who had been monitoring them, immediately descended on him. His girlfriend and friend managed to escape. The attackers shot the young man in the head before fleeing in a waiting tricycle.

Shortly after, the same group targeted and killed another member of the rival cult in Nkoro. In a separate incident, a third member of the opposing group was shot near his residence, while the twin brother of one of the deceased narrowly escaped the attack. Shop owners in the affected areas quickly closed their businesses to avoid being caught in the violence.

Police from the Rapid Response Squad have since evacuated the bodies. A source at the Aba Area Command of the Nigeria Police Force confirmed the incidents, noting that investigations are underway to apprehend those responsible for the killings.