By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI— Palpable tension and apprehension gripped passers-by and people doing business along Okigwe Road, Owerri, as suspected cultists silenced a final year student of Imo State University, IMSU, Owerri.

IMSU

It was not clear if the deceased was a cultist or offended the rampaging cultists in any way before he was attacked.

Vanguard gathered that the deceased, whose identity could not be ascertained at press time, “was cooling off at a popular joint close to IMSU roundabout, before his attackers came calling.”

Narrating how the final year student was gruesomely murdered, a middle aged man, who claimed to be one of those doing business close by, said: “The suspected cultists stormed the beer parlour where the young man was relaxing, shot him in the head and quickly disappeared from the scene.”

He appealed to the management of tertiary institutions, government and the security agencies to find a lasting solution to the periodic cult-related killings in the country.

All efforts to get the police angle to the story, including phone calls and text message to the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, failed as he neither returned the calls nor replied the text message.