A revenue collector identified as Emmanuel, popularly known as ‘Meme’, was reportedly shot dead by suspected cultists in Benin City on Thursday in what appears to be a retaliatory killing.
The victim, a member of the Professional Drivers on Wheels association, was attacked along Akugbe Street near 2nd West Junction by Oliha Market in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.
Eyewitnesses recounted how the assailants, arriving in two vehicles, trailed Emmanuel from the junction into a residential compound before executing him at point-blank range and fleeing the scene. Security personnel arrived after the attackers had escaped.
“The whole incident happened so fast. They followed him into the compound and shot him before anyone could react,” said a shaken resident who witnessed the attack. The victim’s body was later removed from the scene using a commercial vehicle and deposited at a mortuary.
Local resident Odion Osakue, who witnessed the shooting, described the attack as both shocking and tragic. “This was a cold-blooded murder in broad daylight. We’re all living in fear now,” Osakue stated.
When contacted on Friday, Edo State Police Public Relations Officer Moses Yamu confirmed the incident. “We are aware of the incident and investigations are ongoing. Further details will be made public in due course,” Yamu said.
