A violent confrontation between rival cult teams, the Eiye and Maphite confraternities, has left one man useless in Evboyare neighborhood, Uhunmwode Native Authorities Space of Edo State.
The Coordinator of the Edo State Authorities’s Particular Safety Squad, Idemudia Noah, confirmed the incident in a press release issued on Thursday by Governor Monday Okpebholo’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua.
In accordance with Noah, the conflict turned bloody and claimed the lifetime of a sufferer recognized as Festus. He revealed that the residence of alleged Maphite chief, Felix Aigbedion, had been sealed after safety intelligence linked him to the violence. Aigbedion has since been declared wanted, with investigators alleging he masterminded the assault, which escalated from a neighborhood dispute into cult warfare.
By the point safety operatives arrived in Evboyare, the neighborhood was reportedly abandoned, with houses, automobiles, and private belongings destroyed. Two locally-made firearms have been additionally recovered from a poultry home believed to have served as a makeshift armory for the cultists.
The assertion disclosed that, appearing on intelligence, operatives stormed an unoccupied constructing in Egbaen, Egor Native Authorities Space, in the early hours of Wednesday. Behind the premises, officers found a secluded shrine believed to have been used for initiation rites. The home, mentioned to belong to Marvellous Adetarami, contained a white casket and different fetish objects related to cult practices.
The Edo State Authorities instantly ordered the sealing of the property, stressing that the transfer harassed its willpower to dismantle each the bodily and religious infrastructure sustaining cultism throughout the state.
Reaffirming the administration’s stance, Noah mentioned:
“Governor Monday Okpebholo’s authorities is unwavering in its dedication to rid Edo State of cult-related violence and legal networks. We’ve got sealed the house of Felix Aigbedion, who was linked to the deadly Evboyare conflict, and the Egbaen residence of Marvellous Adetarami, the place a shrine was uncovered. These actions will not be symbolic; they’re clear warnings that clandestine actions will now not have secure havens in Edo State.”
He added that investigators additionally uncovered disturbing proof of extortion throughout cult initiation processes, together with stories of victims being compelled to switch cash to cult members. He confirmed that the Police had been totally briefed and prosecutions are underway.
Noah, whereas issuing a stern warning, urged cult members to resign their affiliations or go away Edo State, stressing that the federal government stays dedicated to securing lives, restoring peace, and making a secure setting for residents and companies.
