Edo vows to intensify war against cultists, internet fraudsters

By Jethro Ibileke

The Edo Government has vowed to intensify and sustain total war against cultists and internet fraudsters in the state.

The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, stated this on Tuesday in Benin, while reacting to the issue of security in the state and the killing of a part time programme student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), penultimate week.

Recall that the political science student identified simply as Alexander, was shot dead on Sunday, May 10, in front of the main campus gate of the University, along the Benin-Lagos Road, Ugbowo, Benin, not long after he reportedly finished his exams.

Following the incident, the state Governor, Monday Okpebholo, vowed that his government will leave no stone unturned to apprehend the perpetrators.

Reacting to the killing during a press briefing, Afegbua noted that following the unrelenting war the state government has been wagging against suspected cultists, they appear to be hiding under the umbrella of internet fraudsters to perpetrate their nefarious activities.

He said: “It is also part of what we are talking about when it comes to issue of youths engaging in Yahoo Yahoo business, cultism and what have you. A young man who went to write his exam, we were told, was affected.

“They said he had some money they made as a group and the money was lodged in his account. Come, let us share the money, they said. He would say today, tomorrow, today, tomorrow. And the others were feeling that the guy was trying to play them.

“So, they had to trace him to the University. After he finished writing his exam, according to information, he had to be attacked in such a gruesome manner.

“They have killed him now. The only thing I don’t know is those who killed him, whether they were able to get the money. I don’t understand. You have exterminated the life of a young man. The money will still be in his account.”

Afegbua reiterated that the state will continue of its stance of zero tolerance for cultism will also continue to check activities of internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo Yahoo.

“We begin to see that cultists, anywhere, is to pursue themselves either inter-cult rampage or inter-cult rampage, and the final destination would be killing.
I can’t even rationalize that.

“We are calling on the Edo public that our zero tolerance to cultism is still very much in force, and no amount of persuasion that will take our eyes off that particular decision, that particular agenda, and we’re even going to add the issue of Yahoo Yahoo to that now, because we are seeing that because cultism is being tackled head-on, they now hide under the auspices and umbrellas of Yahoo Yahoo to commit havoc. The one at the UNIBEN gate is a ready example.

“So, Monday Okpebholo, the governor of Edo State, is clear-headed on where he’s taking the state, and no amount of frustration from members of the public or some renegade, so to speak, will take us out of that. We are going to continue our approach, our commitment to ensuring that we nip all of this crisis in the bud.

“We may not have provided answers to all the nagging problems of cultism, but people will bear witness that Edo has been peaceful to a large extent,” he added.