By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI—Umuobi Ikwerede in Ohaji/Egbema local government area of Imo State is boiling, following the dangerous activities of cult groups in the area.

Already, a man, simply identified as Abacha, was killed last Sunday by a rival cult group, while several houses and personal effects have either been burnt, destroyed or looted by another cult group said to be on revenge mission.

Vanguard gathered that the crisis started as a mere disagreement in beer parlour at Umuobi and later snowballed into a huge conflagration that had sent several villagers scampering into neighbouring communities.

“All I can recall for now, is that a group of boys came into a beer parlour in the village and were enjoying themselves. Their presence did not spark off any suspicion, but not too long after, an argument ensued and sadly degenerated into a fight,” an eyewitness recounted.

The eye-witness said that before other people at the scene could decipher what was really the issue, one of the cultists stabbed one Abacha with a broken beer bottle.

He told Vanguard that the deceased, whose proper name could not be ascertained at press time, hailed from Umuodibe in Ochia village, while the suspected murderer is a native of Umuobi, Ikwerede.

Another woman from the community recalled that as soon as the news of Abacha’s death spread like wild fire in the area, his own group quickly mobilized and unleashed terror and mayhem at Umuobi, burning houses and destroying precious property.

Similarly, reports filtering in from Obiakpu autonomous community, also in Ohaji/Egbema local government area of the state, has it that the people are now living in fear, following what some of the villagers described as incessant killings in the community by a yet-to-be identified group that adopted guerilla warfare tactics in its operation.

Vanguard could not ascertain the number of times the faceless group attacked the community but most of the residents have fled from the area and relocated to safer areas.