Residents of Amarata, a suburb of Yenagoa metropolitan city, the Bayelsa State capital, are still living in palpable fear and tension after last week’s killing of a young man in the community by a rival cult group, who shot him at close range in his head.

Since the day of the unfortunate incident, commercial activities on the once-bubbling Punch Road and Ompadec Street have been skeletal, as most shops close as soon as it is 6 p.m., with shop owners seen hurrying home.

The Amarata community, notorious for its incessant cult wars and stealing by cult groups, is less than a kilometre from the state Government House. Inhabited by the original owners of the land, the Epie people, and visitors from other states, it has rarely enjoyed peace due to the activities of cult groups who terrorise innocent people.

The recent killing of the young man, simply identified as Frank aka ‘Akeman,’ has led to heavy tension, as his own group is seen parading the streets looking for their rival, a scenario that causes sudden panic, with everyone running helter-skelter at the slightest sound.

Others have also used the opportunity to snatch phones and other valuables from unsuspecting residents in the area, especially from innocent students from the Bayelsa Medical University (BMU).

Just on Wednesday night, there was almost a stampede when worshippers, returning from the five-day Glory Night by Pastor Ibiyome of the Salvation Ministry, suddenly began running for dear life after they sighted some boys with guns. The commotion almost led to a stampede, as many people lost shoes, and slippers, and others were injured, with children mostly affected.

Though the Bayelsa State Command of the Nigerian Police Force has initiated a conflict resolution mechanism to secure a ‘ceasefire’ from warring cult group leaders in the state, the tension in Amarata is yet to be resolved, especially as the other group has vowed revenge until they apprehend the killer.

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The Commissioner warned that further conflict and killings would lead to the automatic arrest and prosecution of the identified leaders.

Cult-related clashes have resulted in the killing of seven persons in the last week along the Igbogene, Amarata, Swali, and Ekeki axes of the state capital, as a result of the struggle for control of a share of revenue from the newly established State Transport Terminal located at Igbogene.

Three youths of the same parents were shot dead in the bloodshed.

It was also gathered that the Igbogene axis, where the bus terminal is located, is under the control of the Greenlanders cult group. However, other cult groups, such as Icelanders, Vikings, Bobos, and Dee-bams, are struggling to have a share of the expected revenues.

Guardian Metro further gathered that the State Commissioner of Police, Francis Izu, who was miffed by the rising cases of killings, ordered the tactical team of Operation Puff Adder, led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo, to invite all the leaders of the cult groups for a meeting to resolve the matter.

It was also gathered that the leaders of the cult groups, after declining an earlier invitation out of fear of the tactical team, approached the top echelon of the police to meet with the State Commissioner of Police over the issue.

At the meeting, which started on Monday and ended on Tuesday, about ten heads of cult groups in the state agreed that “forthwith, all cases of violence and killings must stop.”

They also agreed to send messages to all their foot soldiers on the agreement and submitted that the police should hold any leader of any cult group identified in any further violence responsible.

A source within the top echelon of the State Police Command said the undertaking was signed to bring a halt to the killings and bloodshed, but the investigation into individuals responsible for the killings is ongoing, and they will be brought to book.