BENIN CITY- A vibrant youth leader and four other persons have been allegedly killed in a renewed cult war that engulfed parts of Benin City in the past two weeks.
The youth leader, identified as Osazuwa Eghosa, 42, A.K.A Danta, former youth chairman, Iyobosa Community, Benin City was attacked and his body dismembered opposite his shop at 17, Oghene Street, between 2nd and 3rd East Circular Road, Ekiosa Market, Benin City about 8:20pm on Monday, February 5, 2018.
It was scooped that the rampaging cultists who probably monitored him unnoticed, opened fire on him as he left the premises of shopping mall.
The youth boss who may have fortified himself against bullets, amid the shooting ran to a mechanic workshop opposite the mall where he was hit with a rod and butchered by his assailants.
The sporadic shooting made residents and passersby to scamper for safety until policemen from Adesuwa division arrived the scene and evacuated the body.
Late Osazuwa Eghosa, father of four it was further gathered was the caretaker of the mall where he operated lotto office at shop 24 in the complex.
When our reporter visited the complex, many shops were locked.
A shop owner who opened for business described the deceased as peaceful and always the last shop owner to leave the complex.
Mrs Osazuwa while narrating her last moments with her husband few minutes before he was murdered appealed to security agents and government to stop the killings.
She said her husband had few hours to his killing given her money to prepare food for the family as she was expecting him to return home to eat and rest when she heard gun shots followed by frightening screams from neighbours.
She said her husband was never a member of any club.
The four other victims said to be in their prime were either shot or hacked to death by their attackers who accosted them at various locations in Benin metropolis.
Investigation revealed that other victims of the ongoing fracas were killed in Ogbelaka, Sokponba Road and Evboran Street, all in Benin Metro.
Further investigation revealed that at least one person is killed weekly in cult-related violence in Benin City.
Cultism has been rated among the worst security challenges the police contend with in Edo State.
Contacted, the spokesman, Edo Police Command DSP Chidi Nwabuzor said he was yet to reach the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in the affected areas.
He however promised to get back to our reporter a pledge that was yet to be redeemed at press time.
