Edo gripped by renewed cult violence

2 weeks ago 16
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The renewed cult clash in Edo State has reportedly claimed 10 lives in the last five days at Upper Sakponba in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.

It would be recalled that over eight persons were reported to have been killed as of Tuesday, October 29 in the area in a clash that was believed to be between Eiye and the Vikings confraternity.

The death toll continued to rise on Friday as a young man was shot at the Nomayo bus stop at about 6.00 pm.

An eyewitness said the victim was accosted by his assailants when he went to purchase at a shop in the neighbourhood.

The source who sells fruits at the bus stop, said, “He was just alighting from the bus and ready to enter the provision store before he was blocked by the boys. They shot him, and he tried to run, but they pursued him and hit him the second time before he fell on the ground and they shot him again in the stomach.

“That was when people began to run for their lives. Look at him there,” she said.

She pointed to the corpse about 100 meters away from the scene, where he was in a pool of blood with his stomach opened by bullets.

On Saturday, a young man in his mid-thirties, simply called Ik, who hails from Rivers State was also killed.

He works as a manager in a filling station before the Aifuwa bus stop and also operates a shop where he sells lubricants close to the filling station. His killers almost dismembered his corpse with cutlass and axe.

Ik’s co-worker, who gave his name as Mustapha, said the deceased came to his room to confide in him that he was not feeling fine, but he was advised to sit back at home and take care of his health.

“Ik came to my house around 5 am, he was the one that woke me from sleep. He said he was sick and I told him to stay at home but he didn’t heed my advice.

“When he got to his shop, he was told that masked boys came to look for him. But he went back home, changed to black and came back to his shop.

“The boys came back and he wanted to flee but it was too late as they shot him and almost dismembered his corpse,” he said.

It was gathered that the cultists robbed a Point of Sale operator at Aifuwa Street before they went for their target the same day.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Police Command. Moses Yamu said he could only confirm two deaths.

He said, “I know about the two recent ones as you have mentioned. That is all I know.”

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