Renewed cult war claims eight in Edo

A renewed cult war in some parts of Benin City, Edo State, has reportedly claimed eight lives, particularly in Upper Sokponba Road of the state capital.

Sources claim that the death toll is more than 20 in the last three days when the crisis started.

The latest clash is said to be between the suspected members of Eiye and Vikings confraternities.

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Reports said that the fight 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.

It was learnt that the attempt to settle the matter did not work.

Some suspected Eiye members reportedly attacked the Vikings members and inflicted injuries’ on them with knives.

“The Vikings came back in their numbers and killed one of the top members of Eiye, and that was how the conflict escalated.

“After that, they killed another person called Oilman, also an Eiye member, and from there, they went to two houses and killed another person. That was what led Eiye to decide to start their retaliation.

“There was a Vikings member that was stabbed, and they thought he was dead, but he is in the hospital. The challenge in this is that one of the groups would not accept the apology, and the other would not apologise,” the source added.

Meanwhile, 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 embarrassing dimension in the kingdom. [Vanguard]