One person is said to have been shot dead on Wednesday, in a cult-related battle in Amakohia area in Owerri, Imo state. Vanguard gathered that the incident happened at about 06:30 pm, around Umuodu/Amakohia/Spibat area in Owerri.

However, UGAMATV leant that the armed cult group trailed a rival group to above mentioned area but failed to meet their target, and on their way back they shot ata young man believed to be a member of a rival group.

Some of the sources said “When they drove past the Rocchas Foundation college round into the Umuodu village, they were not making any noise, it was when they were coming back that they started shooting sporadically in the air and people started running for their safety.

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“They have killed a young man.  I was told the young man is innocent just walking along the road and they shot at him. He died there. When they were driving out from the area, after accomplishing their mission. They were shooting. I even ran into the bush. He continued: “Last week we had this kind of shooting but it was not serious like this one. They are cult members and I know they are fighting each other.”

In another development, an eyewitness told Vanguard that the unknown gunmen said to be terrorising the state, after about 45 minutes of the cult battle, now arrived the area and started shooting in the air snatching vehicles of residents and beaten them up. As of the time of filing this report, residents of Amakohia, Akwakuma are still leaving in fear as some people were forced to abandon their homes.