This week’s update highlights organized criminality in the Niger Delta, with a focus on criminal violence and clashes between rival cult gangs in Akwa Ibom State. Organized criminality and gang violence have become the leading drivers of insecurity in the state. According to available data (see map above), organized criminal violence, including clashes between cult gangs, led to over 190 fatalities in Akwa Ibom State between January 2021 and September 2024. Recent data shows an upward trend in cult gang violence in the state. For example, in July 2024, a resident was reportedly killed during a clash between rival cult groups in Ifa Ikot Okpon, Uyo, the state capital. In October, two more people were killed during clashes between the Black Axe and Vikings cult gangs in Eyo Abasi, Mbo LGA. Most recently, on October 23, 2024, four individuals were allegedly killed in a series of clashes between members of the rival Axe Men and Baggar cult gangs at different locations in Oron LGA. Among the victims was a 40-year-old high school principal, who was allegedly decapitated by members of a rival cult gang in Marina, Oron LGA.
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