•Cultists and police emblem
Hoodlums suspected to be cultists have killed a policeman, identified as Oboh Goodluck around OMPADEC road, Amarata axis of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
It was gathered that the policeman, who was in mufti, was shot dead in the early hours of today, while returning from work by some hoodlums who allegedly tried to rob him of his phone and other valuable.
Amarata community has been notorious for cult clashes since December last year, when two rival cult groups engaged each other in a supremacy fight, reports Daily Trust.
The situation has created palpable tension in the whole Amarata community, as police operatives stormed the community to arrest indiscriminately.
Residents told our correspondent that armed policemen launched a raid on parts of the area today morning, shooting indiscriminately.
Most families were said to have fled their homes in order to escape arrest.
A resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said their windows were smashed during the raid by the policemen, adding that the community had been left in fear of further violence.
They urged security operatives to exercise restraint, warning that any further escalation could lead to a wider breakdown of law and order in the capital, Yenagoa.
Amarata, a densely populated neighbourhood in Yenagoa, has long been a flashpoint where cult groups and security operatives frequently clash.
When contacted, the Police Spokesman in Bayelsa State, DSP Musa Muhammad, confirmed the incident, saying investigation was ongoing to arrest the suspected killers.
The residents are calling on the Bayelsa State government and security agencies to restore calm and prevent further casualties.
