A yet-to-be-identified individual, believed to be a student, was on Sunday evening shot dead by armed men at the main gate of the University of Benin in Ugbowo.
Vanguard reported that the incident reportedly occurred as the victim was driving out of the campus in a GLK Mercedes-Benz with Lagos registration number AAA 601 HT when he was attacked.
According to eyewitness accounts, masked gunmen intercepted the vehicle using another GLK Mercedes-Benz, blocked it, and opened fire at close range before fleeing the scene, abandoning their own car.
It was gathered that the deceased had just completed his Political Science examinations about an hour before the fatal attack.
Two other occupants of the vehicle survived the shooting and were quickly taken to the University of Benin Health Care Centre for treatment.
One student recounted the incident, saying, “They blocked them in their own vehicle and shot at them at close range, and there was no way he could have survived the attack. The gunshots were massive and terrifying. Two others who were in the vehicles were also injured and rushed to the school’s health care centre.”
Security operatives from the Ugbowo Divisional Police Headquarters later arrived at the scene and evacuated the body of the deceased.
The Divisional Police Officer, SP Emmanuel, said the situation remained unclear at the moment, adding that an official statement had yet to be released.
In a related development, another student was reportedly chased with a machete around the Social Science Lecture Theatre on Saturday but managed to escape unharmed.
