By Our Reporter
The relative peace enjoyed in Ibaa Community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State is being threatened due to a resurgence of criminal activities two months after a peace accord was signed in the area.
The threat to peaceful co-existence followed the reports of abduction of the two children of Mr. Nwoburuke Azunwon, a Pastor of a Popular Pentecostal Church in the community last Sunday. The Pastor’s children were kidnapped in the church premises when hoodlums suspected to be ‘repentant cultists’ stormed the place.
A native of the community who did not want his name in print told our reporter that the suspected kidnappers carted away unspecified amount of money and other valuables in the church before they took the children away.
Our source stated that the Men of the Nigerian Army camped in the community on receiving the information, instructed the village town crier to go round the village, urging persons holding the children to release them before four hours or have the army to contend with.
The source revealed that the Nigerian Army threatened to deal decisively with the law with leaders of Deygbam and Icelander cult groups who made peace two months ago if the children were not released.
It was learnt that the children were released some hours after the meeting of security agents with the leaders of the two ‘repentant cult’ groups .The source explained that the children were released by their abductors and kept close to their church.
Other natives in a chat with National Network doubted the sincerity among the members of the cult groups who accepted peace accord following the kidnap.
The residents of the community, we learned are now living in fear after the incident .
Investigations showed that Ibaa community was ravaged by cult war for twelve years.
Many people were also killed during this period and houses were destroyed.
So many indigenes of the community came to the village for the first time after the warring cult groups accepted to shun violence and reached truce on June 1, 2019.
The peace accord was initiated by the executive Chairman of Emohua local Government area, Hon. Tom Aliezi and the immediate past Commissioner of housing in the State, Elder Chinedu Tasie.
Concerned natives of the community in the meantime have urged the ‘repentant cult’ members to remember the promise they made that they will never go back to their old ways.
The natives urged security agencies not to spare anyone still indulging in criminality.
