BENIN CITY-At least, four persons have been killed while many were wounded in a violent cult clash that erupted in Benin City, last Sunday.
This came as residents of Benin City were preparing to celebrate eight months without record of cult killings, in the state capital.
Our crime reporter gathered that the on-going fracas is between Eiye and Black axe confraternities.
The clash sparked off at Ogida area which is said to have recorded two casualties and six seriously wounded, in the last two days.
It was further learnt that the rampaging cultists stormed a barbing salon in Coolex area of Useh quarters, opened fire on the barber and dastardly hacked his costumer on the head, yesterday afternoon.
The fourth victim was said to have been short along power-line road, besides Ogida Police barracks about 4pm on Monday, and later died in a hospital.
When our reporter visited Ogida area yesterday afternoon, police patrol team led by Ogida Police Station CSP Lawrence was seen combing suspected flashpoints.
It was however gathered that a massive clampdown has commenced in the troubled areas as considerable number of suspects have been arrested and exhibits recovered.
Sources disclosed to our reporter that operatives of the state police command headquarters have joined men of Ogida Police Station in raiding suspected hideouts in the area.
It was further gathered that the operatives are trying to be swift in their response to prevent the crisis from spilling over to other parts of the state capital and campuses in the state.
Recall that IGP Solomon Arase deployed to Edo State a special anti-cultism squad led by the present Commissioner of Police in the state Mr Chris Ezike to contain cult fracas that engulfed the state last April.
The arrests of some notable persons linked with cult activities and leadership in Edo State, remarkably stopped the killings ever since.
Contacted, the Public Relations Officer, Edo Police Command DSP Abiodun Osifo declined comment.
