PORT HARCOURT — It was a black day in Egiland, yesterday, as unidentified gunmen, suspected to be members of a cult group, the Islanders, in the area invaded the Egi kingdom in Ogba/Ebgema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State killing at least 15 residents.

The killers were said to have invaded seven communities in the area: Obagi, Ede, Obite, Egi Town, Obieze, Obimiri and Akabka in the night on motorcycles and shot sporadically, killing the victims and injuring many others.

A reliable source from Egi Kingdom, who spoke to Vanguard, said the boys who invaded the villages were suspected to be members of the Islanders cult, a group that had been terrorizing some parts of the local government area.

The source said the identity of the assailants was betrayed by their chanting as they unleashed mayhem on the innocent citizens.

The source also said that the cult group’s action could not be linked to any known crisis in the area but said it may be a fall-out of the cult activities that have been rocking the local government area.

Vanguard also gathered that the cult boys came back at about 9 am to fire shots in the community but the JTF men intervened.

Contacted, the state Police Commissioner, Mr Tunde Ogunsakin, confirmed the incident but quickly added that the Police were yet to ascertain the number of those killed.

He said: “We are still investigating. The number of those killed may be about six or eight. But we are investigating.”

The state Police boss could not give any reason for the action of the cultists. He said calm had returned to the area, adding that security men had been deployed to maintain the peace.

Another community source said the gunmen shot sporadically for about three hours.