Six persons have been reportedly killed in different parts of Edo State by suspected armed herdsmen and reprisal attacks from rival cult groups.
In Odighi community in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of the State, two farmers were said to have been killed on Wednesday morning by suspected herdsmen.
They 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 dead.
A witness, Hilary Omoregie, who narrated the incident on Wednesday said: “I am from Odiguetue, a neighbouring community to Odighi, and I was going to my village this morning when I saw people gathered around their bodies.
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“The two of them, an Igbira farmer 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 farms again because of these attacks”, Omoregie said.
The bodies of the dead farmers were said to have been evacuated by police from Ekiadolor Police Division.
Four other persons were reportedly killed since Easter Sunday following reprisal clashes between members of Eiye and Black Axe confraternities.
One of the victims said to be a young man, was shot dead on Tuesday night at Ugbague lane by suspected rival cult members while another said to be a youth leader in Ward 12 of Oredo Local Government Area reportedly escaped death when his assailants 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 in Egor Local Government Area in two, separate locations along Benin Technical College (BTC) Road and Universal junction along Medical Stores road.
One of the victims identified simply as ‘Odion’ who is an auto mechanic was reportedly 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.
The assailants were said to have stormed the workshop on a red colour Toyota Camry car and shot their victim and immediately zoomed off.
The State Commissioner of Police, Lawan Jimeta, said the two farmers were hunters who went to the bush the previous night, and their bodies were discovered on Wednesday morning, adding that investigation had commenced on the incident.
On the cult killings, he said he was yet to be briefed but that some persons had been arrested by the anti-cultism unit.
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