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By Oscar Okhifo
Residents and students were thrown into panic on Sunday following the killing of a part-time student of the University of Benin, who was shot dead by unknown gunmen near the Ugbowo main campus gate in Benin City.
The incident has sparked renewed concerns about security within and around the campus community.
Eye witnesses said the victim was attacked while seated inside a vehicle close to the school gate when armed men suddenly opened fire before fleeing the scene.
A witness recounted the moment of the attack:
“It happened so fast. We just heard loud gunshots and everyone started screaming and running. When we came back, the boy was already dead inside the vehicle.”
Sources disclosed that nothing was taken from the car, a development that has fuelled suspicion that the attack may have been targeted.
The gunmen were said to have confirmed the victim’s death before escaping, leaving him in a pool of blood at the scene.
The identity of the deceased had not been officially confirmed at the time of filing this report, though he was said to be a part-time student of the institution.
Benin City has for years experienced recurring cult-related violence and clashes among rival groups, while the University of Benin had in the past recorded notoriety over cult activities within and around the campus environment.
However, such incidents had significantly reduced in recent years following intensified security operations and clampdowns on cultism.
It is, however, yet to be ascertained if the latest killing was cult-related.
Security operatives were later said to have arrived at the scene, after which the body was evacuated to an undisclosed location.
Meanwhile, efforts to get official confirmation from the spokesperson of the Edo State Police Command were unsuccessful as of press time.