Bloody clashes between two rival cults in Calabar

No fewer than three people have died
following bloody clashes between two rival
cults, identified as Maphite and Vikings.
The groups were reportedly fighting over
the control of ticket issuance to tricycle
operators in Calabar, Cross River State.
PUNCH Metro learnt on Thursday that
trouble started at about 1pm on
Wednesday when a key figure in the
Vikings, Emmanuel Actor, was trailed and
murdered by the rival Maphite group on
Palm Street in the Calabar South area.
It was learnt that Actor, who allegedly
controlled the issuance of tickets to
commercial tricycle operators along Nelson
Mandela Street, went to an area controlled
by the rival group on Egerton Street and
stabbed a key opponent in an attempt to
expand his territory.

The Maphite group was said to have
immediately regrouped and trailed Actor to
Palm Street where he was brought out
from his tricycle and hacked to death.
The group reportedly started shooting
sporadically along major business routes in
Calabar South, which forced traders to
shut down business activities.
It was gathered that another Vikings
member was killed on Etta-Agbor Road,
while the clash, which continued on
Thursday, also claimed the life of another
unidentified cultist on Richard Henshaw
Street by Edibe-Edibe Road.

An eyewitness, Mr. Okereke Mong, said the cultists on Wednesday terrorised Calabar-

South for more than four hours without

interference from any security agencies.

He said,

"They started the fight on Egerton
Street. I learnt that Emmanuel Actor, who
was the immediate past leader of Vikings
group attempted to take over the issuance
of tickets to tricycle operators on Egerton
Street. In the process of trying to assert
control, he stabbed one of the Maphite
members with a broken bottle.
“Hours later, the group trailed him to Palm
Street and intercepted his tricycle. They
brought him out and shot him. They also
used axes to break open his skull. He bled
to death. They waited till he breathed his
last before leaving the place. The incident
lasted for over one hour and there was no
police intervention.

“The police arrived after the incident. The

same group proceeded to Etta-Agbor to kill

another Vikings member.”

However, the Special Adviser to the

Governor on Department of Public

Transport, Mr. Gabriel Okulaja, said the

agencies involved in issuance of tickets to

tricycle riders did not have anything to do

with cultism.

While denying knowledge of the existence

of groups issuing tickets to commercial

tricycle operators, Okulaja pointed out that

touts had constituted themselves as

collection agents in Calabar-South without

remitting any funds to the approved

agents.

When contacted, the Police Public

Relations Officer for the state, Mr. John

Eluu, confirmed the incident, adding that

one of the suspects had been arrested.

He explained that the mutilated corpse of

Actor had been deposited in a mortuary

while efforts were on to arrest other cult

members.