BY EMMA OKENYI
BENIN CITY – The Agbonlahor family of Ekosodin Community in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State are now leaving in fear following series of reprisal attacks on members of the family for some years now.
Not withstanding, members of the family dread further attacks following threats to kill any member of the family by unknown persons who claimed to be members of a popular secret cult group, the Black-Axe confraternity, otherwise known as ‘Aye.’
The attack, it was gathered is not unconnected to a February 2016 misunderstanding between a lecturer in the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and a student, whose name was given as Martins Agbonlahor, an alleged leader of Aye.
The misunderstanding was said to have resulted in the killing of the lecturer, with the collaboration of Martins.
This development, it was gathered sparked anger and cold war that culminated in retaliation by another cult group that has the lecturer, whose identity was still sketchy as at the time of this report as patron.
The retaliation resulted to the killing of Martins in the family rented apartment in June of that year, with a threat to kill any member of the family seen
This, it was learnt was after the 6-member cultists, gang rapped his mother to a state of coma before she was rushed to a medical facility in the locality where she later died as a result of health complications from the gang rape.
A brother to Martins who gave his name as Victor Osahenoma Agbonlahor in a chat with newsmen from his hideout, said that the rape of his mother to death and the killing of Martins, his brother angered him and made him to shoot and killed one of the recognized killers with his father’s hunting gun before escaping to unknown destination.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Edo Command, ASP Tunji Bello said the killings started in 2016 from UNIBEN campus in Benin City.
He said the situation seems to have overwhelmed the command as the killings which led to inter-cult war has claimed many lives
According to him, “Around June 2019, one Osas Agbonlahor, a brother to victor who took his father’s hunting gun to kill somebody was killed and we learnt that some of these cult boys are after this same Victor.
“We have also declared him wanted for murder; we are going to comb the state for him. He must go in for it,” he added.
