Five persons have been feared dead in Ihiala, Anambra State following clash by rival cult groups in the area, necessitating an emergency meeting by stakeholders and security operatives to find ways of stemming the tide.
Anambra election Anambra state governor It was gathered weekend that primary and secondary school pupils were brazenly being initiated into cult group in the area, thereby posing danger to the people.
President General of Ihiala Progress Union, IPU, Chief Jude Ngobili, who spoke on the issue said the peace and stability of the town were being truncated by the violent juvenile cultists ,who, according to him, were killing and kidnapping innocent people. Ngobili said further that apart from the danger posed by cult activities in the community, the people of Ihiala could no longer watch while their children engaged in criminal activities capable of destroying their future.
He explained that following the worrisome nature of the activities of the cultists, the leadership of the town decided to invite security operatives to find solution to the problem. The Police Area Commander in charge of Ihiala, Mr. Michael Falade commended the community for resolving to partner with security agencies to fight cultism, pointing out that security was an intricate issue that called for collaboration from every law abiding individual in the society.
Falade, said the rampaging cultists were not spirits, but youths known by members of the society who had operated for a long time because the stakeholders had not involved law enforcement agencies about their criminal tendencies and activities, adding that the police required information from the public to be able to fight crime effectively.