Renewed Cult War in Edo Claims About Eight Lives

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There has been a resurgence in cult clashes in Edo State with the reported killing of no fewer than eight persons especially in the Upper Sokponba Road area of Benin City, the state capital, though sources who should know insisted that not less than 20 people had been killed in the last three days when retaliatory attacks started.
The latest clash is said to be between the Eiye and Vikings confraternities.

Though the cause of the clash could not be ascertained, it was gathered that a renewed war erupted following a breakdown of peace initiative between the feuding parties at the Tipper Garage in Idogbo area of Upper Sokponba Road by some people believed to be leaders of the two groups.

A source privy to the ill-fated meeting hinted that “the attempt to settle the matter did not work, thereafter, some Eiye men attacked the Vikings members and inflicted injuries on them with knives, but no life was lost”.

According to the source, “The Vikings went back in their numbers and killed one of the top hierarchy members 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 to two houses away and killed another person. So, that is what led to Eiye deciding to start their retaliation.

“There was a Vikings member that was stabbed mercilessly, and they thought he was dead, but he is the hospital. The challenge in this is that one of the groups does not accept apology and the other does not apologise”.
Meanwhile, different groups have been reacting to the renewed bloodbath in the state as a result of renewed hostilities by suspected cultists.

A group, Benin United Forum (BUF) on Tuesday 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.

A press statement signed by the President and Secretary of the group, Iyamu Osaro Culture, and Osayuki-Osa Benson, said “we humbly appeal to our God’s King, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo 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 parts of Benin City which has consumed the lives of countless youths especially at Upper Sakponba axis which is often seen as the centre ground for the barbaric act, followed by Egor/Uwelu, Ugbowo/Uselu, part of GRA.”

Another group: The Network of Civil Society Organisations (NOCSON) similarly called on the police to lift the ban on 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, Ogbidi Emmanuel, blamed the cult clash largely on the porous nature of security in the state, following what he called the “needless ban on the Edo State Joint Security Network earlier trained by the Police”.

Emmanuel argued that “The ban, which was pronounced by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, has since brought about great increase in crime to an alarming rate, especially within the locals.”

The statement called on the police to investigate the cult related killings and bring perpetrators to book.

When contacted, the Police Public relations Officer, Moses Yamu said the police would respond at the appropriate time to the killings.