Two businessmen yesterday lost their lives during a clash between two rival cult groups, Greenlander and Bobos, in Swali ultra-modern market in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
According to an eyewitness account, one of the victims, an Igbo man, was killed when members of Bobos cult group attacked a hideout of their rival Greenlander group within the market in the early hours of Monday.
It was further learnt that the other victim, a Hausa trader, was killed in the evening that same day when the Greenlander cult group went on a reprisal attack in the market.
According to a trader who pleaded anonymity said “the Bobos attacked a hideout of Greenlanders in the market. After their clash, they attempted to rob the Igbo man who was hawking beverages.
“When they tried to collect all the money he had made that day, and when he resisted their attempt, they attacked him with machetes, killing him on the spot.
“After everyone calmed down, the Greenlander group came back in the evening to attack some members of Bobos hanging around the market when they accidentally killed the Hausa man selling onion.”
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Bayelsa State Command of the Nigeria Police Force, Asinim Butswat, said “it was a rival cult clash, two persons died (names withheld) while, one Emmanuel Akpaye and Chinedu Offor are responding to treatment at FMC. An investigation is ongoing.”
Nigerian Tribune
