Cult clash in Eket claims three lives, injures many

The recent clash between members of the Vikings Confraternity and a local cult group, Ukpotio in Eket Local Government has claimed not less than three lives, THE INK can report authoritatively. Penultimate Sunday which was the 8th of June, the Nka Ukpotio which is based at Nnung Uso in Usung Inyang had three of her members killed by a rampaging Vikings boy who is popularly known as ONE LOVE.  And about two are said to have been lucky to have escaped.

THE INK crime reporter gathered that the renewed crises between the two cult groups started as a result of the challenge members of the Vikings group posted to Ukpotio about two to three months ago. Competent sources said members of the Vikings confraternity had returned from an outing and had went to a certain joint were they looted some drinks, valuables and cash including Indian hemps commonly known as Ikong Ekpo. After the invasion of the first joint, they are said to have moved to and looted another joint at Idim Affia owned by a member of the rival Ukpotio cult group. They are said to have also molested the sales boy before carting away money of sales for that day. The Ukpotio man who owns this second drinking spot is known as Emem.

THE INK reporter gathered that Emem who belongs to the Ukpotio group had however reported the matter to his colleagues in Ukpotio who plotted to take vengeance.

Two months after the looting of Ukpotio member by the Vikings group, Ukpotio is said to have waylaid a member of the Vikings confraternity named ONE LOVE. One Love is said to have been dealt very terrible matchet cuts while he was wailing and shouting thereby drawing the attention of the neighbours who rushed to the scene of the incidenct. For fear of being identified, Ukpotio members then fled leaving ONE LOVE in the pool of his own blood and with the apparent belief that he has died and or will die due to loss of blood.

A member of the Vikings cult group is said to have noticed his colleague, ONE LOVE in the pool of his blood and then decided to give a helping hand. He is said to have dusted One Love up before taking him to the hospital for treatment. Not deterred, the Ukpotio are said to have followed up ONE LOVE to the Hospital but were not smart enough as their victim was later transferred to an unknown hospital.

If the Ukpotio thought the battle was over, they were wrong. When the victim of Ukpotio matchet cut, ONE LOVE was discharged and regained fitness, he is said to have taken vengeance into his hands. He reinforced and went after his assailants and penultimate Sunday 8th June, ONE LOVE is said to have stormed a certain joint owned by Small boi who is the vice Chairman of the Eket new motor park located along OKON in Eket. At the joint, ONE LOVE met five of his opponents unprepared and decided to deal several cuts on the heads of his opponents. In the process, three dropped dead while two escaped with serious matchet cuts on different parts of their bodies.

The corpse has since been carried away by the Police formation in Eket. The gruesome murder of the three Ukpotio men has seriously created tension in the Oil rich city of Eket as the Ukpotio may be plotting another strategy to take vengeance especially as three of their men are already down. It appears the battle between Ukpotio and Vikings does not have an end in sight even when signs that the peace talk called between the two groups may be yielding efforts.