Gunmen suspected to be cultists reportedly shot dead an undergraduate of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), identified simply as Alexander and injured three others, including a female, in an attack on Sunday in Benin.
The attack reportedly happened in the evening at about 6pm outside the Ugbowo campus of the UNIBEN, along the Benin-Lagos Road.
The deceased was said to be driving his GLK Mercedes-Benz out of the campus with two other occupants when a white unregistered white GLK Mercedes-Benz reportedly intercepted the vehicle.
Witnesses said some masked gunmen immediately opened fire on the vehicle, targeting the driver’s side and zooming off, leaving the occupants of the vehicle in a pool of blood.
It was gathered that the deceased, a part-time student of the Department of Political Science, had reportedly finished his exams about an hour earlier before he was reportedly shot dead.
The three other victims, who sustained injuries during the attack, were said to have been rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, where they are currently receiving treatment.
The spokesperson of the Edo State Police Command confirmed the incident, saying one person died while three others sustained injuries in the incident.
She said the gunmen opened fire on the vehicle coming out of the school at close range, injuring the three occupants of the vehicle and a female passerby whose identity is yet to be ascertained.
She said the victims were rushed to the hospital, where the driver, identified as Alexander, was confirmed dead, while others are receiving treatment.
She said the State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, has ordered investigations into the matter to unravel the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
The university management has distanced its staff and students from the violent clash that led to Alexander’s death.
Spokesperson Benedicta Ehanire said preliminary findings linked the incident to cult-related activities outside the campus.
Meanwhile, Monday Okpebholo condemned the killing, assuring that security agencies are working to arrest those responsible and ensure justice for the victims’ families.