A 22-year-old furniture maker identified as Victor has been brutally killed in Ganaja Village, Lokoja, Kogi, in what residents suspect was a reprisal attack linked to alleged movement between rival cult groups.

The Incident, which occurred at about 10 am on Monday, November 9, has heightened fears over the resurgence of cult-related violence in communities around the Kogi State capital.

Victor, popularly known by his business name, “Emma the Furniture,” was reportedly working at his workshop near Nyama-Nyama Junction when he was allegedly attacked by suspected members of the Jurist/Amici confraternity.

Eyewitness accounts said the attackers stabbed him around the neck before he managed to escape from the workshop and flee towards his family residence.

But his attempt to seek safety reportedly failed.

The assailants were said to have pursued him to the family house, where they allegedly found and killed him. Alleged cult switch sparks deadly reprisal.

Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the killing suggested that the deceased may have been targeted over his alleged affiliation with rival confraternities.

Sources familiar with the development claimed Victor was initially associated with the Vikings confraternity, also known as DNKI, before allegedly defecting to the Jurist/Amici group, popularly referred to as PLIJ.

He was subsequently said to have returned to the Vikings group after reportedly becoming dissatisfied with his experience in the rival group.

The repeated movement between the two groups, locally described as “cross-carpeting,” was believed to have created tension and may have triggered the attack.

Although the exact motive behind the killing remains subject to police investigation, the circumstances have raised fresh concerns about the deadly consequences of cult rivalry and defections in Lokoja.

Victor’s death has left his family and members of the Ganaja community devastated. He was reportedly the only son of his parents and is survived by his aged father, mother, and four sisters.

A resident, Comrade Etuh Ogwu, who said he knew the deceased through his furniture business, described him as a young and promising entrepreneur.

Ogwu said he saw Victor alive at his workshop earlier that morning, shortly before the fatal incident.

He expressed disbelief that the young furniture maker, whom he described as hardworking and skilled in modern furniture production, would later be killed in such circumstances.

The incident has also renewed calls for security agencies to intensify surveillance and intelligence gathering in areas where cult groups are suspected to be operating. Residents want the perpetrators identified and brought to justice, warning that failure to decisively tackle cult violence could encourage further attacks and retaliatory killings.

As of the time of filing this report, the Kogi State Police Command had not publicly confirmed the incident, the identity of the attackers or any arrest connected with the killing. (Nigerian Tribune)