Residents flee homes in Delta community over cult activities

From Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

Palpable tension and fear of the unknown have continued to unsettle Tuomo Community in Delta State following the increasing cult activities in the area as several houses have allegedly been destroyed.
It was gathered that the rampaging cult groups are fiercely armed with dangerous weapons including sophisticated guns and have destroyed several houses in the community in the recent times
Sources alleged that apart from houses that have been destroyed, several persons have also been killed and few others injured in most cases during their operations.
It was further gathered that the cult group with the name” flying capons” are deadly in their activities as they often engage unsuspecting residents in gun battle to press home their anger as many of the communities have fled their homes for fear of the unknown.
But the traditional Prime Minister of the community, Chief Mike Loyibo who spoke to journalists in the area on Tuesday, lamented the serial terrors perpetuated by the cult groups on the people of Tuomo Community, and called on the state government to urgently intervene.
He said,” the community is gradually turning into a ghost town with the indigenes seen fleeing for fear of being killed, I am appealing to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa who is my own good friend to please focus attention on Tuomo in his peace and security efforts that have engendered sustainable development and peace in the state, I am equally calling on the security agencies, especially the police and Joint Taskforce, JTF, to be proactive because these boys are carrying guns and working in front of the JTF security post in the broad daylight.”
It would be recalled that last week,a lactating woman was shot dead by members of a cult group who invaded the community late in the night, robbing from one house to house with many victims sustaining deep machete cuts, a situation Chief Loyibo while further appealing to government and security agencies to be proactive, noted that over 40 percent of indigenes had fled the community either for fear of the unknown or threat from the perpetrators.
“My community is now living in fear, especially the leadership, a lot of people have packed out of the community because of the fear these cult groups terrorizing the community,” he disclosed.
According to Chief Loyibo, “ I was touched when I heard that the four months old baby whose mother was shot dead by a cult group just last week, carried seriously for breast milk.”
He appealed to all the security agencies to come to his aid.
The Police Commissioner in the state, Hafiz Mohammed Inuwah who confirmed the activities of the cult groups in the community, said that the police was mobilized to dislodge all forms of cult groups in the community, adding that it was a shame cult activities would be allowed to reign in the community.
He said, “ we will bring all the cult members to arrest and those terriorizing the community will not get peace until they are changed” and warned that the police with zero tolerance for indiscipline and frauds including all forms of crimes, will ensure that the cultists are brought to arrest.