A fresh graduate, identified simply as Jafaru, was shot dead by gunmen on Tuesday in the Auchi area of Edo State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident happened shortly after the deceased participated in the sign-out ceremony of Auchi Polytechnic, where he graduated from.
It was gathered that Jafaru, who was also a professional barber, had just returned from the ceremony and resumed work at his barbing shop.
A source who was privy to the incident told our correspondent on Thursday that Jafaru had started attending to his clients when the gunmen stormed his shop and shot him in the process.
Jafaru was like a brother to everyone here. He had just returned and came to his shop to meet a customer who had been waiting for him. He had started attending to the customers when two men arrived on a motorcycle. He thought they had come to have their hair cut, but when they got into the shop, one of them was said to have pulled out a gun and shot Jafaru at point blank.”
Jafaru was said to have fallen to the ground and died instantly on the spot.
The customer he was attending to was also said to have been hit by stray bullets fired by the assailants, who immediately fled the scene of the incident.
In a video another source shared with PUNCH Metro on Thursday, the deceased could be seen lying on the floor of his shop while a brown apron was still strapped to his body.
The source said, “Efforts were made to give him medical attention as those around him took him to the hospital, but he was confirmed dead on arrival.”
While noting that the killing may not be unconnected to a cult attack, the source further explained that “Jafaru is an easy-going person and not known to engage in cult activities before his death.
The incident comes despite recent efforts by the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, to curb cult-related violence across the state. The governor had inaugurated an anti-cultism committee and directed security agencies to clamp down on criminal groups after a series of deadly clashes in Benin and other parts of the state.
The Edo State Police Command spokesman, Moses Yamu, did not pick up calls made to his phone. A text message sent to him had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.
PUNCH Metro reported in March that operatives of the command arrested one Iyayi Omokaro, who hacked his brother, Friday, to death over a disagreement.
Yamu, who stated this in a statement, said the killing took place at Uzalla Community, Uhunmwonde, Benin.
