A stray bullet from a fight between rival cult groups allgedly hit a man in Umuoma, Nekede in Owerri west local government area of Imo state.
According to reports, the yet to be identified man was on Thurday at about 7:30pm, on his way to buy a bread for his family when he was hot with the stray bullet.Similarly, three persons were said to have been killed by cult related brawl in Nekede in the same Owerri west local government area.
Speaking on the incident, the Imo state Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO, Orlando Ikeokwu, said he has not been properly briefed and that he would give details on the issue on Monday.
On the man knocked down by a stray bullet, a source who narrated how the man was knocked by a stray bullet disclossed that crisis actually started on Thursday night.
“The killings have been too much. Three cult members were killed by rival cult groups during the weekend. It started on Thursday night and continued till Saturday night.
“The incident happened in Umuoma, Nakede in Owerri west local government area of Imo state.
“The man was killed by a stray bullet. He is from Orlu local government area, of Imo state, he is married with children.
“He went out on Thursday night, to buy bread for his family. Unfortunately for him, he was shot dead by the bullet of the cultists when they were exchanging gunfire. This incident happened around 7pm to 8pm.”
Narrating further, he said: “The second victim of the attack, Mr. Cyriacus Ekejiuba, is a native of Isiekenesi, Ideato South local government area of the state and a tenant in our place. The suspected assassins stormed the beer parlour where his late brother and some others, were having their drinks.
“The hoodlums opened fire on the people and snatched phones. The shot silenced Mr. Ekejiuba, who came to buy his need in the shop. As people struggled to leave the beer parlour, the hoodlums shot my brother in his hand but he tried to run away from the scene. The armed men gave him a hot chase.”
He continued: “Three or four other members of the gang, again, blocked my brother. He was shot a second time, in his back but he kept running. He later fell down at a spot, and when the hoodlums saw where he was lying, they shot him a third time, near his ear, as if to ensure that he did not live to tell the story. The hoodlums ran away thereafter.
“When I got to the scene, I quickly called some of the policemen from Nekede Division, I was privileged to have their numbers and they responded in good time. When they noticed that my brother was dead, they detailed one of them to follow me to the morgue, where we deposited him.