Date: 2017-07-08

Suspected rival cultists renewed their hostility in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital on Thursday killing one person in the process. This is just as police have arrested 10 suspected cultists in a combined raid of dark spot areas around agbo-oba area of Ilorin yesterday.

The victim simply identified as Dauda was gruesomely killed at Edun/Opo-Malu Junction, leading to palpable fear among residents and shop owners in the area.

He was said to be a dealer in furniture and interior decorations at a popular fairly used market near Edun Junction. Vanguard reliably gathered last night that the deceased hailed from Ijara-Isin in Isin Local Government Area of the state. It was however learnt that the atmosphere became charged immediately members of the rival cult group arrived the shop of the deceased. Dauda was said to have taken to his heels when he sighted the dreaded group but was given a hot chase and was eventually caught at the Edun/Opo-Malu Junction where several matchet cuts were dealt on him.

Other shop owners were said to have scampered for safety as the cultists reportedly brandished harmful objects including guns, machetes among others. Vanguard further gathered that the area was deserted as motorists and other road users hurriedly diverted to other routes to avoid being caught in the mayhem.

The warring cult group was said to have left the scene of the incident immediately the deceased was confirmed dead. Contacted last night, the Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi, said he was not aware of the incident and promised to find out and call back. He was yet to do so at the time of filing this report. Though the state Police Spokesman claimed that he has also not been briefed on the arrest of the ten suspected cultists, an impeccable security source confided in Vanguard about the suspects' arrest.

According to the source,"I can confirm to you that about 10 suspected cultists were arrested this night (last night) in some areas known to be dark spots for the men of the underworld. We swooped on them in the raid. "We don't want them to turn this state of Harmony to a theatre of war where they can kill and maim with impunity. They should relocate in their own interest because we are ready for them."