At least four people have been killed in Auchi, the Etsako West Local Area’s Administrative Headquarters in Edo State, as a result of a reignited cult battle between competing groups.
A member of the Black Axe fraternity and a member of the Supreme Vikings fraternity were reportedly responsible for the deaths of other people in various parts of town.
The source said, “Four people have been killed since the crisis started last Saturday when a National Youth Service Corp member said to be a member of the Black Axe confraternity was shot by the rival Supreme Vikings Confraternity.
“The corp member was later rushed to the hospital for treatment and had since been discharged,” the source added.
A Vikings group member was reportedly killed in retaliation near Mr. Biggs in Jattu, Auchi, and three other victims were shot dead at Mechanic Site, Vacchi, and Winners Road, also in Auchi.
A report on Friday morning, however, claimed that certain lecturers at the Federal Polytechnic in Auchi had given up on overseeing the SPAT Exams due to their alleged involvement in cultism.
However, Mrs. Adebola Ogunboyowa, the institution’s assistant public relations officer, quickly refuted the claims, stating that the school had ended its SPAT exams on Friday because students were due to exit their residence halls on Saturday.
She said: “The allegation is not true. But in the first place, whatever is happening, maybe the issue of cult clashes, nothing happened in the polytechnic.
“As I speak to you right now, I am in school and nothing is happening within the polytechnic community. Whatever is happening is outside the polytechnic, which are host communities, we have no power over it,” she said
When contacted, Chidi Nwanbuzor, the PPRO of the Edo State Police Command, was unavailable.
