At least four people have been confirmed dead following an attack by gunmen suspected to be cultists in Swali community, located in the heart of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
A community source who spoke with Daily Trust on Tuesday said the assailants stormed the area on Easter Sunday, arriving through the nearby river.
The attackers reportedly unleashed violence on residents who had just returned from Easter church services.
Several individuals sustained injuries, and many residents have since fled the community, fearing further violence.
Swali, known for hosting Bayelsa’s largest market and a major river port connecting other parts of the state, also houses key government institutions including the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), INEC, CBN, and the Federal Secretariat.
The area has been designated as a free trade zone by the state government.
Though long-standing rivalry exists between two cult groups—the Greenlanders and Bobos—it is unclear if the latest attack is linked to their ongoing supremacy battle.
The lawmaker representing Yenagoa Constituency 1 in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Chief Ayibanegiyefa Egba, visited the affected community on Tuesday to sympathize with the victims.
She condemned the attack, calling it “barbaric,” and extended her heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and the Swali community.
“There is a need for unity and vigilance within the community to resist external forces,” she said, advising young people to avoid destructive behaviors that could jeopardize their futures.
During the visit, the Paramount Ruler of Swali, HRH Wilcox Seiyefa Job, appealed to the government to enhance security in the area.
“We are calling on the state government to mount police posts at strategic locations to avert future attacks,” he said, urging for sustained efforts to ensure residents’ safety.
Police spokesman in Bayelsa, DSP Musa Mohammed, confirmed the attack, stating that law enforcement has intensified efforts to maintain peace.
He added, “The attack might not be related to cult clashes, but measures were in place to forestall no further breakdown of law.”
In a separate tragic development, two children have died following an explosion that occurred on Tuesday in the Abakpa area of Kaduna, near the old site of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
The victims were identified as 13-year-old Imam and six-year-old Nasrin. Three other residents reportedly sustained injuries in the blast.
The cause of the explosion remains unknown, though security operatives have cordoned off the area and commenced investigation.
A resident who chose to remain anonymous recounted the terrifying moment “The explosion occurred very close to my house. So when I heard it, I ran out to see what has happened. I saw one of the affected victims, Imam, and tried to take him to the hospital but he died before we got to the hospital.”
