Gunmen.

By Jethro Ibileke

The Edo State Police Command has confirmed the killing of one person in a recent clash between the Black Axe and Macphite confraternities, in Benin City.

Anonymous sources alleged that no fewer than five persons were killed, a sharp difference from the figure of casualty given by the police.

One of the sources who craved anonymity, linked the renewed clash to the killings at Auchi and its environs penultimate week, in which six persons were reportedly killed.

The fatal clash occurred in the Upper Sakponba area, in the Ikpoba/Okha local government area, where it was said that two of the victims were traced to their house and killed, while others were allegedly shot dead on the street.

The State Command spokesman, SP Moses Joel Yamu, in response to the inquiry, said he can confirm the killing of one person but can not say if it is cult-related.

He said: “I don’t know if they were cult killings, but I can confirm one or two corpses.

“I can confirm a corpse that was picked around the pipeline, I have the picture on my phone. As of today, I don’t have any information that anything has happened today.”