5th March, 2019
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
Unidentified gunmen on Monday in Benin, Edo State, shot and killed a taxi driver identified as Madueke Obiagu, in front of his house.
The incident occurred at No. 18, Akugbe Street, off Santana road, Ikpoba Hill, in Benin City.
It was gathered that the attackers struck while the victim was putting battery into his Audi 80 saloon car, with registration number BEN 236 XY.
Wife of the deceased, Mrs. Ifeoma Obiagu, said her husband had sent her to get some food stuff at the market.
The mother of three who was in sorrowful mood, said on her arrival, she met the unfortunate incident.
She said: “I don’t know it started. All I remember is that he asked me to go to the market and return on time, as he wanted to go to work. He normally ply this road.
“As I was returning from the market, I noticed that the road was unusually quiet. Some people said that there were shootings at Omoigui. I decided to run into my house for cover.
“Getting into my house, I asked for my husband and was told that he was inside the house. But, getting into the house, they now told me to calm down, that he was shot while he was putting battery into his car to start it.”
It was gathered that police operatives from Ikpoba Hill division later evacuated the corpse of the deceased.
Edo police spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident to our correspondent in Benin.
He said: “On the 4th of March, 2019, at about 11am, the divisional police officer in Ikpoba Hill division, received a distressed call that a young man was shot by unknown criminals, along Akugbe Street, off Santana road, Ikpoba Hill, in Benin City.
“When police operatives arrived at the scene of the incident, they were told that some boys shot him dead. They were equally told that the deceased name is Madueke Obiagu. The body was immediately taken to Our Clinic Medical Centre mortuary at Ikpoba Hill.
“Investigation is ongoing. The case is cult-related fight, killings that have been going on in the city. We all recalled that during the election, the issue of cult killing was nipped on the board, where the police, as the leading agency and other sister security agencies, teamed together and carried out operation show of force and at the same time carried out raids that led to several arrest of cult members.”