By Our Correspondent
Port Harcourt — Tragedy struck in Borokiri area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday evening 26th of August , 2025 as a 28-year-old man, identified as Ifeanyi Mbagwu, was hacked to death by suspected cultists.
The incident occurred at about 7:22 pm while the victim was having a haircut at a barbershop along Arochukwu Road. Eyewitnesses said the attackers, suspected to be members of the Aye cult group, stormed the shop and struck him repeatedly with an axe before fleeing the scene.
Residents told NewsDirect that the assailants appeared to have targeted Ifeanyi, raising suspicion of a planned assault. Efforts to save his life failed as he died on the spot from severe injuries.
Findings revealed that Ifeanyi had relocated from Lagos to Port Harcourt earlier this year after surviving cult-related threats. Sources said his movements had been closely monitored before he was eventually trailed to Rivers State.
The Mbagwu family has reportedly suffered repeated cult attacks. Reports have it that in July 2024 that another family member of his who is said to have been working in Lagos Nigeria was said to have also been attacked in the street where he lived in Ogba ikeja lagos on his way to work by members of the same cult group.
Police confirmed the incident, stressing that the victim was not a cult member. “It was not a cult clash but a targeted personal attack,” a police spokesperson said.
The killing has heightened tension in Borokiri, with residents calling on security agencies to step up action against rising cult-related violence in the state.
