Cultists Behead 30-year-old Man in Bayelsa

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

The bloody war between rival cult groups in Bayelsa State has continued unabated yesterday, as dare-devil cult members in Sagbama town in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state in the early hours of last Wednesday beheaded a 30-year-old man.

The severed head of the deceased identified as Honest Mathew also known as ‘Onions’, was taken away and hung on a pole at the city centre for the indigenes of the community to view. Rival cult war began over a month ago with over 30 people feared killed in separate incidents in the state, especially the state capital, Yenagoa, where a man was reportedly burnt to death when he could not produce his son when rival cult group visited him last week.

It was gathered yesterday that the cult groups involved in the cult war are the members of the Icelanders, Greenlanders and Bobos cult groups.

THISDAY gathered that the killer cult group sneaked into the Sagbama town at about 1.30a.m. and invaded the home of the deceased. They reportedly dragged him out of his house and severed his head and took it away with them.

A community source, who pleaded anonymity, claimed the deceased was dragged away from his wife and three children, and butchered, adding that: “We gathered he was shouting but the guys slit his throat and cut off his head.”

When we woke up in the morning, we discovered the headless body of the victim.

“Upon further search for the missing head, we discovered it was hung on a pole at the centre of the town. We were later told it was a clear message of war against their rival which the deceased also belonged.”

The Chief Security Officer of the Sagbama Local Government Area, Passman Ebiowei, who spoke on telephone, confirmed the development, and expressed concern over the cult rivalry in the area.

He said: “I have discussed with the Chairman of the council area, Hon. Embeleakpo Alale, on the need to call all the heads of these cult groups to a closed door meeting and ensure they sign a peace pact. A sanction can be placed on any group that violates the condition of the peace pact.

“We also gathered that the cult group, which the deceased belonged, was already planning a reprisal for beheading of their members. We are worried because of many other innocent persons in Sagbama.

“The Police and Civil Defence Corps in the council area only go home and sleep once night fall, so the state and local government need to increase security presence to ensure that those that are innocent are safe.”

When contacted on the development, the spokesman of the state Police Command, Asinim Butswat, confirmed the killing and beheading by the cult group.

He stated that: “On March 9, 2022, at about 0200 hours, police operatives were informed that a suspected cultist, one Honest Martin, 30, was found outside his house at Sagbama community beheaded by suspected rival cult group. The police operatives evacuated the corpse to St Luke Mortuary in Sagbama. Investigation is ongoing.”