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Five persons have been reportedly killed at the weekend while several others were seriously injured in a bloody clash in three different locations between two rival cult groups, the Eiye and Black Axe in Benin, the Edo State capital.

Daily Sun gathered that the victims were killed during a quarrel, as one of the groups was sharing money allegedly given to them by politicians during the conduct of primaries by one of the political parties in the state.

It was learnt that two men riding on a motorcycle, suspected to be members of the Eiye confraternity shot a member of a rival Black Axe cult group whose name was identified as Tony Idemudia at Uwelu, near Ogida area of the city. As soon as this happened, the Black Axe members were said to have stormed the Texiles Mill Road area apparently on a reprisal mission and swooped on two rival members killing them in the process.

Not satisfied, members of the Black Axe confraternity were said to have retreated and launched another attack on their opponents at the Second East Circular junction also in the state capital, where they shot two persons to death. One of the victims of the onslaught was identified as Osas.
The bloody scenes had left the residents of the affected areas scampering for safety. When contacted , the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Peter Ogboi failed to confirm the incident..

However, Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. David Omojola said nine persons had been arrested in connection with the incident. He attributed the killings to rival cult gangs and promised that those involved in the killings would be prosecuted, adding that investigations were on to unravel the circumstances surrounding the clash.

The corpses of the cult members have been taken to the morgue of the Central Hospital, Benin by policemen from the state command.

Previously in May 2010

The relative peace in Edo State was disrupted when cult groups clashed in Benin City, leaving 11 persons dead.

Gov. Adams Oshiomhole, Edo State Governor.

The clash was between two rival groups, the Eiye and Black Axe confraternities.

P.M.NEWS gathered yesterday that the battle, which took place last weekend, was a spill over from College of Education, Ekiadolor, near Benin City where cult rivalry claimed two lives recently.

Police sources confirmed the death of eight persons and six persons on danger list at different hospitals in Benin City.

Investigation revealed that Ogida and Useh quarters were the worse hit, recording a death toll of seven within six hours last Thursday.

Eye witnesses said that the cultists attacked their victims as soon as they dropped off the vehicles that brought them. It was further revealed that they pursued some of the victims to their family houses, killing some even in the presence of their parents.

One of the victims is called Erokpadamwen Asemota who was shot dead along with others at Useh quarters.

Bewildered residents who could no longer endure the war decided to appeal to security agencies and relevant bodies to intervene as lives and economic activities have been endangered in the area.

The hitmen and their victims are said to be in their twenties and some were alleged to be students of College of Education, Ekiadolor.

Describing the incident as unfortunate, the spokesman of Edo State Police command, ASP Peter Ogboi, stated that they intervened in good time to arrest the situation .

A bloody cult war between Black Axe and Maphite Confraternity reportedly claimed over 15 lives last March in Benin City.

—Yomi Obaditan/Benin

Three people died instantly, and thirteen others sustained injuries from a road crash that took place at Car Wash, Oworosoki Expressway exit of the Third Mainland Bridge on Tuesday morning.

The accident involved a truck belonging to the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and two commercial vehicles popularly known as ‘Danfo' and ‘Molue.' According to eyewitnesses, the Molue (a fabricated 44-seater bus) lost control and ran into a moving Danfo bus. The Danfo Bus (15 seater bus) subsequently swerved into the LAWMA truck which was about to exit the express way.

"A LAWMA truck wanted to make a U-turn to collect dustbin under the bridge. He did not check his mirror well and as it was making the U-turn, a Molue bus don hit a bus wey dey come. That is how the bus run into the truck," said Tunde Ibrahim, a recharge card seller who witnessed the incident while coming to work at 9am yesterday.

The result of the collusion completely wrecked the Danfo bus and resulted in the instantaneous death of two passengers, while a LAWMA staff died while receiving first aid treatment. Most of the injured, who were coming from Lagos Island where they went to buy goods, were evacuated to St Daniel's Hospital, located about 100m away from the scene of the accident. A few were taken to Gbagada General Hospital. Adewale Ogunkoya, the Administrator of St Daniel's, confirmed that thirteen injured persons were brought into the hospital..

The state of the injured

"Yes we had them brought in about two and half hours ago," he said. "We were able to admit 8 out of the 13 but the remaining 5 were in very critical condition. They had fractures, some were bleeding from the nose and mouth, while others could not regain consciousness. We had to just administer first-aid to and transfer them to the Gbagada General Hospital with the help of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS). All 8 have been stabilized. They are presently coming out of shock and most of them are now conscious."

"The victims sustained fractures on the leg and lacerations on the body and the head, but the hospital was able to stabilize the four men and women, supply them with drip and stitch the areas where they were badly cut. We felt bad, the moment we heard about it, and we alerted the whole hospital staff to get ready for the emergency because the patients may be brought because it happened very close to us, so we were ready. Some could not talk because they were in a state of shock He added the patients where attended to immediately without billing," he added.

A mother of one of the victims, Iyabo Animashaun, expressed gratitude to God for sparing the life of her daughter. "I just want to thank God that she did not have more than a gash on her head," she said. "It may look nasty but at least she is alive. The doctors just want her here for some time to make sure everything is okay before she is discharged."

At the Gbagada General Hospital, the situation of the victims who were referred there could not be ascertained as the hospital's administrative officers refused to left NEXT see some of the injured passengers. One of the administrative officers, who requested anonymity, confirmed that some accident victims were brought in but could not comment on their condition as he was not involved in their treatment. "Even if they are here, how do you expect us to know how they are doing? Are we their doctors?"

Happily injured

Florence Shotola, a 48-year-old trader who was in the Danfo bus, said she was coming from Adeniyi Adele in Lagos Island, and was on her way to Mile 12. "I have four children, I am very happy I did not die. I am better now thank God for the doctor," she said. Also one of the youngest victims in the hospital, 18-year-old Shifaru Abduasalam, who had bruises on her left eye and her left hand. The young mother, who is also a trader, told NEXT that she is very happy the accident did not cause the death of her child.

The identity of the three persons who died in the accident could not be determined as at press time. The wrecked vehicles resulted in several hours of traffic congestion along the mainland section of the Third Mainland Bridge before officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority arrived to clear the vehicles.