Judex Okoro, Calabar

Three persons have been killed in cult clashes between Black Axe and Klans in Calabar, Cross River State.

Daily Sun gathered that the cult war between the two rival groups was ignited by a minor quarrel in a drinking pub; at the weekend.

Further checks showed that what started as misunderstanding led to full scale war when one of the cult boys hacked the other down on Tuesday, leading to reprisals from both groups.

A witnesse, who gave his name as Asuquo Udo, 26, said one of the victims and said to be a clans member was killed about 11:00pm, on Tuesday, on Ambo Street, in Calabar South

Udo said: “We had just finished a church programme at about 11:00pm and were going home when some young men accosted a youth and began hitting him with a plank.

“After hitting him severally with the plank, they later used machete to cut him who was, by now, screaming for help.

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“The victim reportedly came to visit someone in the neighbourhood when he was waylaid. Everybody ran from the scene when it appeared they were cultists attacking each other.

“After about an hour, the police from Mbukpa Police Station arrived the scene but did not meet the culprits who escaped immediately they finished killing their victim.”

And, in a reprisal attack, yesterday afternoon, on a street near Ambo street, the Klans was said to have hacked a Black Axe man to death. Again, another victim was said to have been shot dead around Chamley Street also in Calabar South, yesterday.

The state Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo, who confirmed the incidents, said: “Three persons were killed when two cult groups, Black Axe and Klan, clashed.

“Four suspects have been arrested in connection with the incidents and they are being interrogated.

“Our men have been deployed everywhere. There is no cause for alarm as the situation has been brought under control,” she said.