BREAKING-Cult group allegedly behead man in Cross River

A 34-year-old man was on Monday morning murdered after being shot several times, butchered and beheaded at Iboku Street in Calabar...

South Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The incident occurred at about 8.30 am near a barber’s shop where the victim who was simply identified as Samuel by neighbours and eyewitnesses had gone to have his hair cut.

The victim is suspected to have belonged to a cult group allegedly called Axe which is reported to be at loggerhead with a rival group, Klans.

An eyewitness, a 60-year-old mobile food vendor, who was present at the scene of the incident, said: “I saw two men jumping out of a commercial tricycle, and refused to pay the driver, but rather brought out machetes and handguns.

"They pounced on one of the two men I wanted to sell food to. I abandoned my wares and took to my heels when they used the machetes to smash one of the men’s head. His companion also ran away.”

Another eyewitness, a mechanic who gave his name as Francis Akpan said, “There was stampede when the two men, dressed in black trouser and tee-shirts, brandished their machetes and guns.

“They severed Samuel’s head after they had shot and machetes him. They were about to completely severe the victim’s head when they were dissuaded as a result of shouting by people from their hideouts and police siren”.

Francis said the victim, Samuel who lived on Idang Street by Atim Edem Rise Street, was a trader at the popular Watt market in Calabar while his mother is a petty trader in the neighbourhood.

He said police from the Mbukpa division who arrived the scene after the suspected rival cultists had fled, evacuated the body.

When DAILY POST called on the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Irene Igbo, she confirmed the story, explaining that the reprisal attack was between Axe confraternity and Klans.