There is palpable tension on the campus and vicinity of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State following recent clashes between Eiye and Vikings Confraternities.
No fewer than 5 persons have been killed in different locations since last Thursday.as the rival cult groups renewed violent clashes. One of the victims was shot dead in front of Hartland Company, along Benin-Auchi-Okene highway, while the others were shot dead near the School of Engineering and Sabo area.
Media reports from Vanguard reveal that the killings began last Friday, at a graduation party after the students completed their examination for the session. A member of one of the cult groups was said to have slapped a member of a rival group, which later degenerated into the full blown war.
It appears that management of the polytechnic was putting stringent security measures in place to forestall further violence.
However, the Commissioner of Police, Haliru Gwandu, said it was not true that five persons were killed in the cult-related fight in Auchi. According to him, the DPO in Auchi got a distress call in the early hours of Saturday. Commander of the Squadron 60 mobilised officers to the scene and discovered that a student was killed.
According to Gwandu, “They photographed the scene and removed the corpse to a mortuary. Investigation led to the arrest of leaders of the two cult groups. They are now with the police and investigation still in progress.
“More persons may be arrested this week because no stone will be left unturned in getting to the root of the matter,” says the police commissioner.