Residents of OMPADEC area in the Amarata suburb of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, were yesterday, gripped with fear, following the shooting to death of an 18-year- old youth by armed men suspected to be cultists.
The incident, which caused pandemonium in the neighbourhood, occurred in front of the house of a chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC.
While many residents of the area claimed that the killing of the youth was as a result of violence between two notorious cult groups in the state, others feared that it might have political undertone.
The deceased, according to eyewitnesses, was pursued by his assailants, who caught up with him in front of the residence of a chieftain of the APC and dealt him machete cuts before he was shot dead.
It was learnt that the gunmen, numbering four, had at 7p.m., Sunday, pursued their victim, whose name is yet to be ascertained, to the OMPAEC area and caught up with him in front of the residence of the APC chieftain, dealt machete cuts on him and shot him at close range.
The attack caused residents and shop owners in the usually busy area to run for safety.
Though the APC chieftain was not at home when the incident occurred, he was reportedly alerted that some gunmen had stormed his gate and a young man was shot dead.
