By Davies Iheamnachor

In 2000, some youths in Rivers state formed two cult groups; Deygbam and Deywell and operated in Port Harcourt where they terrorized the residents of the city. Their activities were limited to the state capital while other communities in the state enjoyed relative peace under the watch of local vigilante groups. In 2007 however, when Mr Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi became governor of the state, he chased away all the cultists from Port Harcourt and the residents heaved a sigh of relief.

But the gain of the state capital has now become the pain of some communities as the cultists who were dislodged from the city relocated to the communities where they recruited other youths into their groups and engaged in the fight for supremacy. The two cult groups subsequently changed their names. Deywell changed to Icelanders while Deygbam became known as Greenlanders. The groups became so powerful that even the police could not contend with them.

For residents of some communities in ONELGA, Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas of Rivers state, the fear of cultists is now the beginning of wisdom. For two years, cultists have been running the affairs of some of the communities. It is shocking to observe that bandits who were believed to be faceless in the past are now major stakeholders in the communities as the residents must pay the cultists to allow them live in peace or operate their businesses.

Cultists now assume the position of headship of communities in Omoku and determine who gets a job. They are now allocated the office of the Community Liaison Officer to interface with oil companies in the area on behalf of the communities. Mr. Osere Rafter, a resident of the area who spoke to Saturday Vanguard, revealed that companies and contractors in the area now give employment to members of the cult groups at the expense of qualified graduates in the area. He said that cultists had also assumed the leadership position of some communities in the area and determine who would get a job and whose business would operate in the area.

According to him, “recently, an oil company employing in Omoku contracted the recruitment of labour to a particular politician here, but what we heard is that the employment quotas have been given to the various cult groups, undermining the law abiding citizens who are supposed to get the jobs, especially the graduates. “Cultists decide who gets a job and who gets employed. You know they have the power of the guns and you dare not challenge them. When there are job opportunities, you will hear that they are giving them to the youths and the cultists are now the only reorganized youths in the area.

“The trend here is that for you to get a job you must be a cultist. Immediately you start carrying guns they will recognize you and will be giving you jobs. Because of all these, youths here are being encouraged to join cult. It is shocking to see a graduate without any job and somebody who did not go to any primary school becoming the Community Liaison Officer of a multinational company and building hotels and houses.

Residents live in fear

Last week, cult related violence erupted in two local government areas, ONELGA and Ahoada East leaving at least 15 people dead. It will be recalled that prior to the 2015 general election, 15 people were murdered on the same day in Omoku. In the same period former chairman of ONELGA Local Government Area, Chief Christopher Adube and his four children were murdered alongside seven others. Another shocking and strange murder in these communities was perpetrated in Omoku on February 12, 2016 when over 20 youths were beheaded.

In ONELGA, kidnapping is rampant and cult killing is a daily routine while people now live in perpetual fear. A resident of Omoku, Mr John Awe, said, “the battle is between the two strongest cult groups in the area. Despite security presence and security checkpoints mounted on major junctions, the killers operate freely without any challenge. “In the past two years cultists have taken over some villages in the area. You can see me sitting here, four of my cousins were among those killed by the cultists and two were beheaded and their heads taken away. In Omoku we are living by the mercy of cult group, you need to be here during election period to see how these bad boys dined on the same table with politicians”.

Communities pay levies to cultists

The situation in Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas is as tense as that of the communities in ONELGA probably because the local governments share common boundaries. Cultists have now taken these local governments hostage as the communities in these LGAs now contribute money on monthly basis for cult gangs in the area to allow them live in peace. Before a resident of the area would be allowed to hold any event, either burial or wedding ceremonies, the organizers would first of all meet with the cult group controlling the area, pay a certain amount of money before such occasion would be allowed to hold. It was learnt that some traditional chiefs in this area have joined the cult groups out of fear while some who would not join sponsor the operations of these cultists.

Residents cry out

A resident in the area, Mr Samuel Ewo, disclosed that cultists were now being engaged as hired assassins or used in land disputes and chieftaincy tussles. He said, “The activities of these cultists are frightening and worsening by the day. We wonder how they are getting those sophisticated weapons that even the police cannot face them. When some of them are arrested some privileged individuals will secretly negotiate their release. You can imagine if the house of a chief was demolished by cultists, what would ordinary innocent citizens do, something must be done to check these cultists so that people can live peacefully and move freely again in our various communities.

“Here, we are living at the mercy of cultists. These cultists are unleashing maximum terror on the people, they are now calling prominent indigenes on phone, threatening them to pay ransom or they would be kidnapped. “Our women no longer go to farms for fear of being raped, molested and kidnapped, our people are now resigned to fate, dejected and hopeless. Some of the cultists are kidnappers and some are on killer mission

“They are now initiating more youths into cultism on daily basis and have also resorted into burning people’s houses. Any resident of the communities in Ahoada including the chiefs who challenges the cultists would have his building demolished or set ablaze. Recently, one of our communities contributed the sum of N500, 000 and gave cultists in the area as directed by their leader. We are calling on the state government to urgently draft security men to protect our lives and properties.

We will defeat them—Police

Commenting on the development, the Public Relations Officer of Rivers State Police Command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni said police were ready to wipe out cultism and other criminal activities in the state. Omoni stated that cult activities were illegal, adding that the criminals had no place in the society “The stand of CP on the issue of cultism in the state is apt. He came to the state and saw how the state was and he vowed to stamp out cultism from the state. We will not allow criminals to outrun us. We will defeat them. They are monsters so they cannot rule or govern any section of the society. We are ready to combat them until they surrender or change.

“They may be intimidating people in the rural communities, but their activities remain illegal. “The stakeholders should partner the police because it is a collective business. Crime fighting is for everybody. Rivers State will not be conducive for them again because the CP himself is leading the war against cultism in the state. Rivers State must be safe again”, he said

Wike fumes, orders demolition of cultists’ homes

Last Tuesday, the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike led a team of security operatives, soldiers and policemen to demolish homes and hideouts of cultists in the state. Wike who supervised the demolition at Rumuolumeni community in Obio/Akpor LGA also directed the team to demolish all buildings owned by a suspected kidnapper in line with the state anti-kidnapping and cultism law. The governor who reiterated that his administration would have zero tolerance for cultism and kidnapping urged the people of the state to cooperate with the security agencies in the fight.

He said, “the Rivers State Government has taken over the criminal hideout of these arrested cultists. After the ongoing demolition of their hideout, we will build a police station and a mini barracks in this location. This is to let the public know that this administration is serious. We will not allow anyone to cause insecurity in this state. Let them submit their arms and we give them amnesty”.

Our efforts are yielding results—ONELGA chairman

Meantime, the chairman of ONELGA Local Government, Hon. Isaac Umejuru has said that peace had started to return to the area. Speaking on behalf of Umejuru, his Assistant Press Secretary, Mr. Obed Douglas, said, “From the time the chairman assumed office, fighting cultism has been his utmost priority and his efforts in that regards are yielding positive results. As it stands now several of the cult boys have dropped their arms and have embraced peace.

Two weeks ago one of the boys denounced cultism. What Umejuru did was that he reached out to all the stakeholders in ONELGA and pleaded with them to work with him to restore peace in the area. Through the stakeholders he was able to reach out to the two warring cult factions and urged them to embrace peace. As it stands today business activities are picking up in the area, and people who fled are returning”.