The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has condemned the activities of confraternity groups in the state and handed a matching order to security operatives to go after the perpetrators.
He made the disclosure while speaking to newsmen, shortly after a closed-door meeting with security chiefs in Edo state, at the Government House in Benin City.
Obaseki said a review of cult activities indicated that 150 persons have been lost to cult-related activities and homicide from January 2024 till date.
The governor, who also announced a ban on activities of Okaigheles (Youth Leaders) in Edo South Senatorial District, said he has “passed an anti-cultism law which would be implemented to its fullest.”
He stated that the security council set up a special task force to be headed by the Director of the Department of State Security (DSS), adding that the task force will from Monday, June 3, 2024 review every cult-related incident in the state.
According to him, “From the security management report which was considered in our security meeting, we still have a nagging issue in Edo State which is cultism.
“What is particularly worrisome about cultism is the related homicide that goes with cult-related activities. From January to date, we have lost over 150 people to cult-related activities and homicide.
“On the issue of the Okaigheles, we have been having problems with them as you can’t even separate them from cultism. And the Council has agreed that they are banned.”
Meanwhile, the bloodbath is currently ravaging Benin City and its environs as no fewer than seven people have been gunned down at different locations in a suspected renewed cult clash.
It was gathered that the ongoing cult war which started last week Thursday at Agip by Country Home Junction, Sapele Road in Benin is between the Black Axe and Malphite Confraternities.
The Country Home Junction incident was reported to have claimed the life of a middle-aged revenue collector, simply identified as Jaga.
The violence is reportedly linked to the one-year remembrance of a member of one of the groups who was reportedly killed in 2023.
In what could be described as a reprisal attack, hell has since been let loose in the ancient city of Benin, the Edo State Capital, as dead bodies continued to litter the city without seeming end in sight.
At Ikheuniro, four people were reported killed by the rampaging cultist, this is even as Idokpa, by Auchi bypass, is not let out in the gruesome killings following the brutal murder of three persons.
Surprisingly, the city centre of Ring Road has its share of the unwholesome activities of the daredevil cultists, as one Pascal, said to be a veteran of one of the rival groups was gunned down on Sunday night, despite the presence of a police divisional headquarters at Oba market.
According to sources, eight persons were initially confirmed dead in New Benin environs between last Thursday and Saturday, with four more fatalities reported on Sunday.
Since the renewed hostilities, Tribune Online can confirm that flash spots for most of the killings carried out in Benin include Upper Mission, and Ugbor where two persons each were reportedly shot dead.
Similarly, at Ekosodin in Benin, it was reported that some group of cultists, driving in a GLK Mercedes Benz, carried out an attack on a young man at a dry cleaning shop, who was later confirmed to be a member of a rival group.
Some of the victim’s close friends who spoke on the condition of anonymity and believed to have witnessed the attack, claimed that the victim’s alleged mental issues began shortly after he was introduced to hard drugs consumption.
Elsewhere, close to Unity Bank, Akpakpava, a suspected cultist was attacked and killed.
Reports also have it that there was an incident at 3rd East Circular Road on Saturday where a suspected cultist was killed during a birthday celebration.
However, the Police in Edo have confirmed the cult-related clashes and said it has arrested six suspects with AK-47 rifles who it claimed are now in custody.
The Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Funsho Adegboye, vowed to clamp down on the hoodlums, stating that the police are trailing the leaders and will not relent until they are brought to justice.
He said: “We can confirm that there are cult-related clashes in Benin City. We have been able to get some suspects arrested. We got an AK-47 and a suspect arrested. We have up to six in our cell already and we would not relent”.
Adegboye said the violence has spread to other parts of the state, with incidents reported in Auchi and other areas where two of the suspects in police custody were said to have been arrested.
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