No fewer than ten persons, mostly students, have been shot dead in an ongoing deadly cult clash at Federal Polytechnic, Nekede in Imo state.

Our correspondent gathered on Sunday that the clash between the Ayes and Baggers confraternities had lasted for no fewer than ten days.

The development had heightened palpable tension in the area even as some residents had fled their homes, our correspondent learnt.

A student of the Polytechnic who spoke to our correspondent on Sunday on strict condition of anonymity said that the clash had affected the academic program in the school.

He said that the development had made the school management to place an order that no student living in the hostels on the campus was allowed to go out nor come in after 6 pm.

The undergraduate said

“Please help us to inform the police because our lives are in danger. Since ten days now there is a serious cult clash between two disagreeing cult groups. They said it is a supremacy war. No fewer than ten persons have been shot dead.”

“Since I gained admission into this Polytechnic I have never seen it this bad. The gunshots are frightening. Please don’t mention my name.”

An indigene of one of the host communities who does not want his name in print said that since the deadly cult clash started they had been locking themselves inside their houses.

The indigene said,

“Here in Umudibia Nekede, we are sleeping with our eyes wide opened. There is this boy they killed around our neighbourhood a few days ago. The boys are members of different cult groups are on a rampage. Please inform security Agencies to come to our rescue Immediately.”

But our correspondent learnt that a detachment from the state police command in Owerri, the state capital had cordoned off the areas and made an arrest.

Our correspondent gathered that some of those who were gunned down were Cyriacus Ekejumba and Chidi Obilonu.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu,a superintendent of police, told our correspondent that suspects, including one bearing gun, had been arrested.

Ikeokwu said that the operation which led to the arrest of the suspects was carried out by the Anti-Cult department of the command in collaboration with Nekede Division.

The police spokesperson gave the names of the suspects as Kalu Chibueze, Obinna Ojike, Amadi Nnaemeka, Iwuagwu Martins, Chiamaka John, Nnesoma John, Kingsley Nwogu, Uche Chimebere.

The Rector, Martin Aligbe who spoke to our correspondent on the phone said

“We have not confirmed any of the victims to be our student. The cult clashes are happening in the villages.it is not happening on the campus. But our concern is that our students live in the villages where these clashes are taking place. We have equally reached out to the police.”