Edo Police Command told FIJ on Saturday that there was “nothing” the police could do as cult groups killed cultists and non-cultists in Benin City.

Recent frequent killings have been ascribed to an ongoing cult clash in the state. The killings have also affected people who do not belong in any cult group, but the police said residents have not rendered help to nab the perpetrators.

According to @najiaconfra, an X account monitoring cult-related activities, the warring groups have made Benin City unliveable for residents due to incessant killings.

The killings have predominantly been linked to two cults groups — Aye and Maphite.

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“Naija Confra can now confirm the affiliation of the attackers in the recent beheading video in Ugbowo, Benin City, Edo State. The attack was carried out by Aye; however, we cannot verify if the person beheaded was a cultist or not,” part of an X post read on Saturday.

Moreover, there have also been reports that innocent people who belonged to neither cult group also lost their lives in the violence.

On Friday, a non-cultist known as Ogbeti was killed in Benin City. Ogbeti, also known as Oyakhilome, was reportedly killed by the Aye cult group at Plymouth Road in Benin City.

FIJ contacted Moses Yamu, the Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Police Command, to ask about the measures the police put in place to bring the perpetrators to book and restore peace in the state. He said that Edo residents have not been cooperative.

“Where are the killings happening? Who are those responsible for the killing? Are they not people’s children and people’s relation? Nobody would commit crime in the presence of a policeman. The members of the public live with them and sleep with them, yet nobody will tell you or give you any information,” Yamu told FIJ on Saturday.

“I have been on radio programmes and TV programmes. It is not that there is no information forthcoming, but there is little or not information. And there is nothing the police can do.”

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Yamu said the police conducted searches, found dangerous weapons, arrested and investigated some suspects.

FIJ also asked Yamu if the police has attempted getting information about the perpetrators from Naija confra. He said he was ready to send screenshots of his questions to the account.

“I have tried. Whoever is behind the account, they say they are anonymous,” Yamu said.