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A young man identified simply as Nzube has been lynched by angry residents of a community in Imo State for alleged cultism.

The slain man, who lived in a nearby Azaraegbelu village, allegedly entered Akalovo Emkeuku community in Owerri North Local Government Area on Saturday night in the company of his friends.

He was said to have shot a man identified as “Seaman”, now at large, who is believed to be a member of the same cult group.

He was, however, caught by residents, beaten and inflicted with machete cuts, as he tried to flee after the shooting.

He was dumped by the roadside, on the Emekuku-Mbaise Road, where he later died.

The Youth Chairman of Akalovo Community, Ikechukwu Obichere, said the incident was cult-related.

He said the failure of the police to respond to distress signals during and after the incident led to the death of the suspected cultist.

He said cultists have been terrorising the community and appealed to law enforcement agents to beam their searchlight on the area as the people now live in fear.

“I called the police that night till this morning we didn’t see anybody.

“The cult boys have been disturbing here shooting and harassing people, raping little girls,” he said

Franklin Chiagoro, a leader in the community, said the community had become helpless and expressed the fear that cult-related crime would escalate in the community if nothing urgent was done.

“I am calling on the government, they should sit up. There might be more dead bodies and we don’t want that to happen.”

The police spokesperson in Imo State, Michael Abattam, said he did not have details of the incident.