Edo State: 20 Feared Killed in Renewed Cult War As Group Calls on Oba Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, To Invoke Curses
From Imafidon OSAZUA (Benin)
Twenty persons have been repeatedly killed in a renewed cult war in some parts of Benin City.
The latest clash is said to be between the Eiye and Vikings fraternities.
However, a group, Benin United Forum (BUF), has called on the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II to invoke curses on those involved in cult related killings like he did when human trafficking assumed an embarrassing dimension in the kingdom.
Some sources claimed that the death toll is not less than twenty in the last three days when the crisis started even as police said only 8 have been killed so far especially in Upper Sokponba Road in Benin, Edo state capital.
Though the cause of the clash is not yet known, 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, thereafter, some Eiye men 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 member 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 decision to start their retaliation.
"There was a Vikings member that was was stabbed mercilessly and they thought he was dead but he is in the hospital. The challenge in this is that one of the groups does not accept apology and the other does not apologise” the source told Vanguard.
Meanwhile in a press statement by Benin United Forum (BUF) and signed by the President and Secretary of the group, Iyamu Osaro Culture and Osayuki-Osa Benson they said: “We humbly appeal to our God's King, Omo N' Oba N' Edo, Uku Akpolo Kpolo Oba Ewuare II, CFR 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 onf 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 great increase in crime to an alarming rate, especially within the locals.”
When contacted, the Police Public relations Officer, Moses Yamu, said the police would respond at the appropriate time to the killings.
