An attack by yet-to-be-identified gunmen on Thursday night has resulted in the deaths of three members of the Edo State Security Network in Okhun Community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of the state.
According to The Punch, local sources stated that the assailants, estimated to be around ten in number, infiltrated the Okhun Community and specifically targeted the victims who were performing their security duties at the time.
The motives behind this horrifying incident remain a subject of speculation. Some eyewitnesses suggest a possible connection to a leadership dispute within the community, while others suspect it could be a retaliatory strike linked to cult-related activities.
Adding credence to the incident, a member of the Emergency Social Safety Net, known simply as “Commander Small Baba,” verified the occurrence through a widely circulated video.
In the video, Commander Small Baba shared, “Today, Thursday night, we received information about hoodlums firing indiscriminately in Okhun Community.”
“We took immediate action upon receiving the report. Unfortunately, we encountered an attack by the hoodlums. During the confrontation, three of my colleagues lost their lives in the line of duty.”
He continued, “I also sustained a gunshot wound during the encounter, but I managed to escape with my life,” revealing a wound on his right hand.
This unsettling incident comes in the wake of recent violence in Okhun Community, which initially resulted in two fatalities and subsequently escalated into a larger-scale cult conflict in Benin City.
Tragically, this ongoing conflict has claimed the lives of no fewer than ten individuals.
