By Francis Ogbuagu,Benin City
An Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Area Command of the Edo State Police Command ( name withheld) and two other senior Police officers were on Friday shot by cultists at the Aibico Junction, Upper Sakponba Road ,Benin City,as rival cult groups continue to fight for supremacy.
The officers were on an intervention mission at the area,as the ancient city has been turned into a war zone,since the inception of the week.While,soldiers have been deployed to the troubled areas of Upper Sakponba, Idogbo, Three House Junction and adjoining locations where activities of the cultists have sent residents fleeing for their lives.
Also, between Monday and Friday 10 persons have been reported killed during the bloody clashes between the two rival groups.
It was not clear what may have sparked the latest killings across major towns and some local government areas in the South senatorial districts of the state.
Orient Daily investigations revealed that one of the key actors of one of the rival cult confraternity was scheduled for burial a development that attracted who is who in the confraternity. Several people sustained gunshot injuries in the process.
Both the Policemen and others injured were rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and other nearby hospitals for treatment in the state.
The activitiesof the rival blood thirst cultists were said to have also taken toll in Ekenwan road, Siluko road, Wire road, Dumez road, Texile Mill road, New Benin road, Ogida Quarters, Ogbe Quarters and Ibivwe Quarters of the City.
About 450 shops, five markets, banks, public and private schools were shut as at Thursday morning.
Parents had to rush to the various schools to take their wards home moments the troubled atmosphere became charged with endless shootings.
Worse as the situation is within Upper Sakponba and Idogbo areas of Ikpoba Okha council area of the state, residents were said to be trapped and helpless as about seven police stations within the localities were razed down and arms and ammunition carted away during the recent EndSARS protest that enveloped the state.
Sadly too, the Benin and Oko Correctional Centers along Sapele road and Airport road respectively were invaded by hoodlums who hijacked the peaceful EndSARS protest where they set free an estimated 2, 000 inmates out of which a larger percentage of the number is yet to return back to the faclities.
Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Johnson Kokumo and the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Chidi Nwabuzor when contacted yesterday on the ugly incidents failed to respond to call to their cell phones.
