By Emma Amaize
WARRI— CULTISTS have taken over Okurowe community in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.
Meantime, the police have launched an attack on cultists at Aladja community in Udu Local Government Area of the state and arrested 14 suspected cultists, who have been charged to court.
Spokesman of Delta State Police Command, Mr. Charles Muka, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects to Vanguard, said: “They have all been remanded in Prisons in Warri.”
In Okurowe community, Vanguard learnt that the rampaging cultists were invited by some indigenes of the community involved in sand dredging business to allegedly intimidate elders and leaders of the town for daring to stop their dredging operations, which is affecting the ecology of the town.
It was learnt that the cultists had terrorised the people, forcing many of them to flee to neighbouring towns.
However, on Wednesday, men of 3 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Effurun, swooped on the community on a rescue mission.
Commander of the battalion, Lt. Col. Otu, told Vanguard that he received a distress call that cultists had taken over Okurowe community and directed his men to go to the community and restore peace.
Our source said a gun battle ensued between the soldiers and cultists, when they got to the community and at the end of the crossfire, one of the cultists was gunned down, while others fled.
Lt. Col. Otu said two suspects were arrested during the raid, adding that soldiers would remain on ground in the community to ensure that peace reigns.
It was gathered that peace had returned to the community with the deployment of soldiers.
SOURCE: Vanguard Nigeria
