Suspected cultists have beheaded a former commander of a disbanded vigilante group, OSPAC in the Umudioga community, Emohua local government area of Rivers State.
The beheaded vigilante leader identified as Alex Uwazuruike was killed on Tuesday night by the cultist who stormed the community.
The assailants also dismembered his remains.
The killing forced residents of the community to flee their homes for fear of further fighting.
Residents were seen deserting the community en masse.
Emohua has had decades of restiveness as rival cult groups battled for supremacy in the area.
The formation of the local vigilante group helped to halt criminal activities in the area for a while, especially the constant abduction of travellers on its axis of the East-West road.
However, the new council boss, Chidi Llyod disbanded the vigilante group, promising to form a new group.
The former OSPAC members argued that the disbandment puts them in harm’s way as they will become targets of the criminals they once hunted.
Nnamdi Omoni, the public relations officer of the Rivers State Police Command could not be reached for comments on the incident.
