A final year student of Public Administration Department at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has been shot dead inside his hall of residence. The deceased student, identified as Desmond Mayor, was killed by a gunman who stormed his room in Hall 3 at Ugbowo campus of the institution at about 9pm on Monday, April 3.
Our reporter scooped that the deceased student was the Chief of the Kegites club (ILYA OVIA) in the university, a campus social club that originated in Nigeria in the 1950s known for its unique culture, which includes dancing, singing, and the use of slang and idioms known as “KegEnglish”. The motive for the killing remains unknown as at press time.
It was learnt that the shooting triggered a pandemonium as other students in the hall scampered to safety.
Contacted, the spokesman of Edo State Police Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, said no arrest had been made as investigation was ongoing.
Asked whether it was a suspected cult-related violence, SP Nwabuzor said, “Yes! It was cult-related. The student was a member of Manphite. He was killed by a member of Black Axe”.
The corpse of the student has been deposited in a morgue.
Meanwhile, the authorities of UNIBEN have called for calm just as they condemned the dastardly killing of the student.
Dr. Daisy Ehanire, UNIBEN’s Public Relations Officer, in a statement issued Tuesday and made available to journalists in Benin City, commiserated with the family and colleagues of the late student and pleaded with other students to be calm as the police and other security agencies were working hard to fish out the suspected runaway killer.
Dr. Ehanire also stated that the authorities were working closely with the internal security units in ensuring that such dastardly incident does not occur again within the school’s premises.
