Mechanic, three others killed in fresh Edo cult war

Suspected cultists have killed four persons in Benin and other parts of Edo State between Wednesday and Thursday in what appears to be a renewed cult war.

One of the victims killed was identified as Emmanuel Michael.

He was said to be attending to a customer in his mechanic workshop on Osasogie Street when he was shot by gunmen around 6.20pm on Wednesday.

An eyewitness told journalists on Thursday that the assailants shot continuously into the air to disperse people in the area before killing their target.

The source said, “Upon identifying Michael, they went straight and fired several gunshots in his head, killing him on the spot.

“The situation forced residents to flee the area, while shop owners quickly locked up and fled. It took the intervention of the Edo State Joint Security Team to restore normalcy in the area.”

This came a few hours after an unidentified carpenter was killed by gunmen at his workshop on Aragua Street, also in the Edo State capital.

Two other persons were killed around Uwelu Spare Parts Market, one of them said to be a taxi driver and identified simply as David.

He was said to have been shot while making arrangements to tow his broken down vehicle.

Meanwhile, robbers went on the rampage in the New Benin area beside Oguola Primary School on Thursday, as they attacked a point-of-sale operator and dispossessed several persons of their phones and money.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Chidi Nwabuzor, said he had not been briefed about the incidents. (The Punch)