•Cultists
A renewed cult war in some parts of Benin City, particularly, Upper Sokponba Road and its environs have reportedly claimed not less than eight lives in the state capital.
Some sources claim that the death toll is not less than twenty in the last three days when the crisis erupted, reports Nigerian Tribune.
The latest clash is said to be between the Supreme Eiye Confraternity (SEC) and Supreme Vikings Confraternity.
Though the cause of the clash is yet unknown, it was gathered that the issues escalated when some of the people believed to be leaders of the groups tried to resolve the crisis in a meeting called at Tipper garage in Idogbo area of Upper Sokponba Road and that the attempt to settle matter did not work.
It was further scooped that some alleged Eiye members attacked the Vikings members and inflicted injuries on them with knives but no life was lost.
“The Vikings went back in their numbers and killed one of the top hierarchy members of Eiye that was how the thing escalated and after that they killed another person called Oil Man, also an Eiye member and from there they went two houses away and killed another person so that is what led to Eiye decided to start their retaliation.
“There was a Vikings member that was stabbed mercilessly and they thought he was dead but he is the hospital. The challenge in this is that one of the groups does not accept apology and the other does not apologise,” the source said.
Meanwhile a group, Benin United Forum (BUF) has called on the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II invoke curses on those involved in cult-related killings like he did when human trafficking assumed an embarrassing dimension in the kingdom.
A press statement signed by the President and Secretary of the group, Iyamu Osaro Culture and Osayuki-Osa Benson said, “We humbly appeal to Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolo Kpolo Oba Ewuare II, to direct our Ohens (Chief Priests) across the length and breadth of Benin Kingdom to immediately place curse(s) on those who are hiding under Cultism to kill themselves in some part of Benin City which has consumed the lives of countless youths especially at Upper Sakponba Axis which is often seen as the center ground for the barbaric act, followed by Egor/Uwelu, Ugbowo/Uselu, part of GRA.”
Another group, The Network of Civil Society Organisations (NOCSON) has called on the police to lift the ban on vigilante groups in the state which it said has escalated crime in the state including the on-going cult killings.
A statement by the president of the organisation, Comrade Ogbidi Emmanuel said the cult clash is largely blamed on the porous nature of security in the state, following the “needless ban on the Edo State Joint Security Network earlier trained by the Police.
“The ban, which was pronounced by the Inspector General of Police Mr Kayode Egbetokun have since brought about a great increase in crime to an alarming rate, especially within the locals.”
The statement called on the police to investigate the cult related killings and bring perpetrators to book.
When contacted, the Police Public relations Officer, Moses Yamu said the Police would respond at the appropriate time to the killings.
