By Mandy Tina
Battle for territorial control and supremacy has erupted between some members of the Conquer Marine Iceland deck (branch) and Houses of Deygbam cult groups on Gambia street, Beribabo axis of Mile 2, Mile 3 Diobu, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Our correspondent gathered that the Nkpolu Divisional Police headquarters in conjunction with other tactical units and local vigilante raided a notorious cult abode at Odunze Street, Mile 3 Diobu, popularly known as Cultism Lane 2.
According to a source, one of the cult groups that engaged in the supremacy battle were in a meeting planning to launch massive attack on their opponents and cause havoc on innocent citizens when the Police stormed the place.
The source revealed that the Cultism Lane 2 is an area known for illicit drug peddling, gun running business and cult activities.
We also learnt that some suspects were arrested in the raid while others took to their heels.
The Public Relations Officer of Rivers State Police Command, SP Grace Iringe Koko, confirmed the raid.
She however told our correspondent that the Police, in conjunction with vigilante in the area raided the place and arrested five suspects.
Some suspected members of the two cult groups had on Tuesday 30 January, 2024, despite engaged in a rivalry clash, resorted to robbing and harassing passers-by along Gambia axis of Ikwerre Road / Ikoku junction.
The incident resulted in pandemonium as business owners hurriedly locked their shops and closed for the day. Our correspondent who happened to be on Ikwerre Road reports that people were running in various directions for safety.
Our source disclosed that trouble started last week Friday when a member of one of the Houses of Deygbam cult groups at Beribabo axis of Gambia Street, said to be the armourer, decamped to Conquer Marine Iceland deck (branch) in charge of Diobu.
We learnt that the decampee’s former cult members had accosted him at Gambia Street axis demanding he hands over their arms and ammunition to them since he had joined their rivals.
The Iceland cult members at Gambia street however rejected the demands of the Deygbam cult members which resulted to clash.
The source further revealed that the clash which broke out caused some Deygbam cult members to sustain machete cuts and one of the injured Deygbam cult members reportedly died from the injuries he sustained three days after the incident.
We gathered that the Deygbam cult groups had attacked some areas of Gambia street at night of Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 January, 2024, to avenge the reported death but were repelled by their rivals.
Our correspondent also reports that members of the two cult groups have started providing protective cordons for their kingpins in anticipation of attacks.
