Get Guardian on GoogleConcerned about the ongoing cult clashes, killings and violent robberies in Amarata, a suburb of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, community members staged a massive peace walk on Monday to protest the increasing cult-related violence and criminality. They warned cult groups to vacate the area immediately.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Say No to Cultism” and “Amarata Must Be Free,” while community stakeholders called on security agencies and civil society to support their campaign for lasting peace.
Led by the Paramount Ruler, Chief Sam David, the community declared that it would no longer tolerate incessant robbery, killing and violence in the community.
Chief David said Amarata had reached a breaking point and vowed that traditional authorities, security outfits, and youths would flush out the criminal elements.
Youth President, Comrade Izibeya Excel, pledged that residents would no longer live in fear, insisting that offenders would be fished out “house to house.”
Similarly, Comrade Gifted Natus launched Operation Set Amarata Free, stressing that even indigenes involved in cultism would face sanctions.
The community has been living in palpable fear and tension since last year as cult groups fight each other on a daily basis, while robbing people in broad daylight and breaking into people’s homes at night.
Last week, some of the cultists robbed and killed a Police ASP, resulting in police raids on homes, smashing windows and arresting anyone found after 6:00p.m., leading to a curfew from dusk till dawn in the community.
