Four persons have been reportedly killed in Benin, the Edo State capital, between Sunday and yesterday in renewed war between two rival cult groups – Black Axe and Eiye.
One of the victims, identified simply as Lawal, was reportedly shot dead at Ezoba, on Sokponba Road, covering the First and Second East Circular roads, Erie and the environs.
A few days earlier, the suspected cultists reportedly attacked Lawal’s younger, inflicting his body with machete cuts.
He was reportedly released from the hospital on Sunday but was attacked shortly by the suspected cultists.
The hoodlums were said to have shot Lawal at close range.
Police spokesman Abiodun Osifo, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the clash but said he had not received details on the casualty figure.
Osifo said: “We did our intervention by deploying our men to the area. We are on a manhunt for those fingered. We are very sure that before the end of tomorrow (today), we will be able to arrest those fingered in the action.”
At the time of filing this report last night, it was learnt that the Sunday fracas started at a popular bar in Sokponba, following an argument between two rival cultists.
One of them, said to be a member of Black Axe, was allegedly attacked with an axe.
He was taken to a hospital.
It was learnt that his friends, who were on a revenge mission, reportedly killed three members of the rival cult group at various locations the area.