Police secure ceasefire over cult killings in Bayelsa
...as 10 cult leaders sign undertakings to stop war
By Odie Ramon, Yenagoa.
The Bayelsa State Command of the Nigerian Police Force has initiated conflict resolution tactics to secure a ceasefire from Warrington cult groups in the State, warning that further conflict and killings will lead to automatic arrest and prosecutions of identified leaders.
The cult clashes, which resulted in the killings of Seven persons in the last week along the Igbogene, Amarata, Swali, and Ekeki axis of the State capital, was as a result of the struggle for control of the shared revenue from the newly deployed State Transport Terminal located at Igbogene.
Three youths of the same other were shot dead in the bloodshed.
It was gathered that the Igbogene axis, where the Bus terminal was located, was under the control of the Greenlanders cult group, but other cult groups such as the Icelanders, Vikings, Bobos, and Dee-bams were struggling to have a share of such expected revenues.
Our correspondent gathered that the State Commissioner of Police, Francis Izu, who was miffed by the rising cases of killings, ordered the tactical team of Operation Puff Adder led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo to invite all the leaders of the cult group and issued them a caution.
It was gathered that the leaders of the cult groups, after declining the invitation out of fear of the tactical team, approached the top echelon of the police to meet with the State Commissioner of Police over the issue.
At the meeting, which started on Monday and ended on Tuesday, about ten heads of cult groups in the state, agreed that ” forthwith, all cases of violence and killings stop. They also agreed to send messages to all their foot soldiers on the agreement. And submitted that the police should hold any leader of any cult group identified in any further violence responsible”
A source with the top echelon of the State Police Command said the undertaking was signed to bring a halt to the killings and bloodshed,” but the investigation into individuals responsible for the killings of the people is ongoing, and they will be brought to book.”
