A fresh wave of cult violence in Bayelsa State has claimed the lives of no fewer than four people after gunmen, suspected to be cultists, stormed the Swali Community in Yenagoa, the state capital, on Easter Sunday night.
According to a resident who spoke to Daily Trust on the condition of anonymity, the attackers-armed with AK-47 rifles and other weapons-entered the community via a nearby river and opened fire on unsuspecting residents just returning from Easter celebrations.
Since January 2025, clashes between rival cult groups-the Greenlanders and the Bobos-over control of the government-owned transport terminal in Igbogene have led to multiple casualties, including non-members caught in the crossfire.
The violence is believed to have escalated after the Bayelsa State Government, in late December 2024, ordered the relocation of all inter-state motor parks to Igbogene.
The decision intensified the rivalry between the two cult groups, which are reportedly fighting over the revenue generated from the terminal.
Previous cult-related attacks
On Tuesday, February 4, 2025, a stray bullet from a clash between the Bobos and Greenlanders cult groups killed a female trader identified as Onorakpoma at the Swali Ultra-Modern Market.
Originally from Emede in Isoko South LGA of Delta State, Onorakpoma was rushed to a community in Southern Ijaw LGA for emergency treatment to remove the bullet but died before medical help could be administered.
Earlier, on Friday, January 17, a man identified as Frank, aka Akiman, was shot dead by a rival cult group in a continuation of the feud that began in Igbogene on January 8, where three people were killed. Victims have since been hunted down in other communities across Yenagoa.
Frank was ambushed at Punch Road by gunmen suspected to be members of a rival group.
The incident, which occurred around 9pm, sparked chaos the next morning as gun battles shut down business activities along Punch Road and neighbouring streets in Amarata.
Many students from nearby Bayelsa Medical University were forced to skip classes for fear of being caught in the violence.
On Thursday, January 9, 2025, armed men suspected to be members of the Greenlanders cult invaded the Igbogene community, killing three people, including the son of a former community vigilante leader known as ‘Money Sweet’.
The attackers, numbering about 10 and wielding various weapons, stormed the area around 8pm, forcing residents to flee.
One of the victims was gunned down near his house, while another-an innocent bystander-was shot for failing to reveal his brother’s location.
On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, a 30-year-old man, Darlington Watson-allegedly a Greenlanders member-was dragged out of a moving tricycle and brutally stoned to death by suspected rival cultists in Agudama-Epie.
Witnesses recounted how the assailants stopped the tricycle, pulled Watson out, and began to beat him with sticks, machetes, and stones until he died. The incident occurred around 5:15pm, opposite a Pentecostal church in the area.
Recent attacks
With the recent attack on Swali, the total number of cult-related incidents in Yenagoa from January to April now stands at seven, with an estimated 15 people killed.
Although residents insist that the Swali attack was not a robbery-since no property was stolen-many believe it was cult-related, as the gunmen appeared to target specific individuals.
Many residents sustained injuries, and many have begun relocating out of fear of further attacks.
Swali hosts Bayelsa’s largest market and serves as a vital transportation hub with a waterfront linking the community to other parts of the state.
It is also home to key federal establishments, including the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Federal Secretariat.
The government has designated the area as a Free Trade Zone.
While the Greenlanders and Bobos have long battled for supremacy in the area, it remains uncertain whether the Easter attack was a direct result of their feud.
Security beefed up in affected community
Bayelsa State Police spokesman, DSP Musa Mohammed, confirmed the incident and stated that security has been heightened in Swali.
He assured the public that law enforcement agencies are working to prevent further violence and ensure safety.
The member representing Yenagoa Constituency 1 in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Chief Ayibanegiyefa Egba, condemned the attack during a visit to the community on Tuesday.
Describing it as “barbaric,” she extended her condolences to the victims’ families and urged residents to unite and remain vigilant. She also advised youths to reject cultism and other vices.
During the visit, the Paramount Ruler of Swali, HRH Wilcox Seiyefa Job, appealed to the state government to establish police posts at strategic points in the area to prevent future attacks.
Rights activist seeks death penalty for convicted cultists
To curb the wave of cult-related killings, the chairman of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Comrade David-West Bekinwarie, has called for stiffer penalties, including the death sentence, for convicted cultists.
He criticised the government for forming “peace committees” instead of prosecuting cultists, alleging that these groups are often rewarded with money and influence.
He also blamed the political class for enabling cultists during elections, making law enforcement efforts difficult.
He said, “Is it not when they’re broke that two or three of them decide the town is too quiet and then stir up trouble just to get the government’s attention for another peace talk?
“The government should stop holding peace talks with cultists. Sometimes, these same boys are the ones politicians use during elections.
“I sympathise with the police at times-because when they arrest these cultists, you start getting all sorts of calls from different angles pleading for their release. Eventually, they’re granted bail and return to the same society to cause even more problems.”
Bekinwarie urged the state to stop pampering criminals and to let the law take its full course.
“For me, anyone caught in cult-related activities should face the full wrath of the law. The death penalty should be included as one of the punishments for cultism.”
Cultism won’t help you succeed, Governor Diri tells youth
In response to the escalating cult violence, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, cautioned youths against joining cult groups.
During a memorial service for his father, Pa Abraham Joseph Michael Diri, at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Sampou, Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, Diri said the only group he ever belonged to was “God’s group”.
He emphasised the importance of love and unity, particularly among politicians, to prevent destabilisation in the state.
He said: “We went to school in mud houses, but today we are handing over something better to our children. Our children will hand over something better to their children.
“Society will continue to grow, but it does not grow in one day. If there is no peace, there will be no development. Our people should have love for one another.
“If the state is in constant division, you will drive away everybody. Even the citizens will not want to come home again. Let us not pull down one another. Instead, let us support ourselves and our state will be better.”
Youths condemn killings, demand government action
The Atissa Youth Council (AYC) Worldwide, representing the affected communities, strongly condemned the killings in Swali and other cult-related incidents within the Atissa Clan.
AYC president, Comrade Osomuze Clever Josiah, expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation, which he said has sown fear and disrupted peace in the community and Yenagoa.
He called on the Bayelsa State Government and relevant authorities to take immediate steps to restore normalcy.
“The council demands immediate action by the state government to prevent further bloodshed and to restore calm and normalcy in our community. We will not remain silent in the face of violence and insecurity,” he said.
