Edo Commissioner of Police, Lawal Jimeta, has confirmed the killing of four persons in different parts of Benin City and another two in a neighboring village.
The commissioner confirmed the killings to newsmen on Wednesday in Benin and said there was no clue yet concerning motives behind the killings.
He, however, said some persons had been arrested by the Anti-cult Unit of the command, but that he was yet to be briefed fully on the matter.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a young man was on Tuesday night reportedly shot dead at Ugbague lane by suspected rival cult members.
Another one said to be a youth leader in Ward 12 of Oredo Local Government Area of the state escaped being killed when his assailants also believed to be rival cult groups came for him.
On Easter Sunday, a young man was reportedly trailed and shot while going to have his bath.
On Monday night, two persons were reportedly killed at separate locations in Egor Local Government Area.
The Easter Monday killings took place along Benin Technical College (BTC) Road and Universal Junction, along Medical Stores Road.
One of the victims identified simply as ‘Odion’ an Auto mechanic, was said to have been shot dead in his workshop on Benin Technical College (BTC) Road, while the identity of the other victim killed at Universal junction could not be ascertained.
It was gathered that the assailants stormed the workshop in a red coloured Toyota Camry car and shot their victim and immediately zoomed off, leaving him dead.
Meanwhile, two farmers were alleged to have been killed by suspected herdsmen at Odighi Village in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo on Wednesday morning.
The victims were said to have gone to the farm to source for food for their families but unknown to them, the suspected armed men laid ambush and shot them.
When NAN correspondent visited the village, one Hilary Omoregie, said to be from Odigutue, a neighboring community to Odighi, said: “I was going to my village this morning when I saw people gathered around the dead bodies.
“I was told the two of them, an Igbira and the other, an Urhobo man, were going to their farm when they were ambushed and shot by suspected herdsmen.
“They have been troubling us, people don’t go to farm again because of consistent attack,” he said.
NAN reports that the two bodies were evacuated by police from Ekiadolor Police Division.
The Commissioner of Police, who also confirmed the killings, said that they were hunters, who went to the bush the previous night and their bodies were discovered this morning.
Jimeta said that investigations into the incident had commenced.
(NAN)
