There was pandemonium in Ekpoma town, in the Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State , when no fewer than five persons, said to be students of the Ambrose Alli University , Ekpoma , were reportedly killed by suspected cult members .
PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident occurred during a graduation party in the Judges Quarters area of the town on Tuesday .
It was gathered that trouble started when a fight broke out between two persons at the party over an undisclosed matter .
One of them reportedly claimed that his shirt was torn during the brawl and left the scene angrily .
He was said to have later returned to the venue with a group of armed men , who opened fire on his perceived enemy , killing him instantly .
The gunmen were also said to have shot four other guests , who had attempted to make peace during the fight .
It was gathered that among the deceased were a final- year medical student of the school , Einstein Chinedum ; a graduate recently mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps, Jerry Omobude ; a serving member of the NYSC , Ugwi Martha , and one Ose Abulu.
But the Edo State Police Command said one person was killed in the attack.
The state Commissioner of Police , Mr Johnson Kokumo, who spoke to our correspondent on Wednesday , described the incident as a clash between rival cults.
Kokumo said those who sustained gunshot wounds were taken to an undisclosed hospital.
He noted that no fewer than four suspects had been arrested , adding that arms and ammunition were recovered from them .
The commissioner said , “I am currently in Osun State for a national assignment . But the report reaching me stated that five people were shot in a cult supremacy battle .
“The people at war were members of different cults. The shooting was as a result of cult rivalry ; that is the information reaching me .
“Arrests have been made . I think four to six people have been arrested with weapons .
“The information as of yesterday was that five people were shot ; one was confirmed dead and the remaining four were taken to a hospital.”
Efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer of the university , Mr Edward Aihevba, were unsuccessful as he neither picked his calls nor responded to a text message sent to his mobile number as of the time of filing the report .
When contacted, the institution ’s Dean of Students Affairs , Mr Don Akhilomen, dismissed reports that the attack claimed many lives .
Akhilomen, however , said one of the victims ( Omobude ) was a former member of the legislative arm of the Students Union Government in the university.
He said , “What we heard was that four or five people were victims . The police will be in a better position to give official information on this matter .”
When asked if the school could confirm that the deceased were students of the university , he said , “It is when their identities become clear that we would know whether they were students of our school .
“But I know of one ( Omobude ) who was a graduate of our university . He graduated last year ; he was a parliamentarian on campus .”
The dean , however , noted that the management of the institution had cautioned students against organising parties for security reasons .
“In fact , a department whose students had a wild jubilation faced disciplinary actions and that was communicated, even before this incident , to serve as a deterrent to others ,” he added .
Meanwhile , it was gathered that students of the institution had been living in fear since the incident occurred , as some of them living outside the campus fled their hostels for fear of a reprisal .
One of them , who spoke on condition of anonymity , said , “People are afraid to leave the campus , especially as we are preparing for our exams, which will begin on Friday .
“The party was organised individually and different people attended. Some students prefer to hold their parties outside the school where they will not be interrupted by the university authority . ”
An alumnus of the university, Mr President Aigbokhan , decried the prevalence of cult -related activities in the area .
Aigbokhan called on the management of the institution to scale up efforts towards eradicating the menace .
