Two persons have reportedly been killed in a gang fight in Ekiadolor village in the Ovia-North East local government area of the State, following a dispute that spiraled from a football game played in neighbouring Iyowa community.
The fight that started as a mere argument at Iyowa community field during a friendly match which later snowballed into a cult war with the parties targeting opponents; their houses and business interests,later claimed the life of one Osaro Agbonze and Kingsley Enabulele.
A witness who didn’t want his name mentioned explained that trouble started during the friendly match in Iyowa community when Osaro Agbonze was asked to leave the field over his unruly behaviour but he refused to obey the referee.
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The witness added that Jude Azali an opponent player in the friendly game supported the referee in trying to force Osaro out of the pitch to allow the game to continue but that didn’t go down well with Osaro who threatened to deal with Jude after the match.
He explained that Osaro, after threatening to deal with Jude, disappeared only for him in the company of four other guys of his cult group traced Jude Azali to a popular Bar in Ekiadolor and attacked him with his friends that evening, leading to the death of Osaro Agbonze and Jude Azali’s friend Kingsley Enabulele.
The gang, according to the source, had earlier that evening stormed Azali’s house ostensibly to kill him, but couldn’t because he had already left home before the arrival of the felons.
But his shop was not speared as the rampaging cult guys viciously destroyed his business promises and also beat up his brother when they could not find him to kill.
“They wanted him dead for innocently challenging a notorious and irresponsible cult guy Osaro Agbonze who attempted to disrupt the game flow when he stubbornly refused to leave after he had been sent off the pitch by the officiating referee during a friendly football match in Iyowa community.
According to the source, in the ensueing fight at the bar, one of Jude Azali’s friends Kingsley Enabulele who was trying to defend Jude was fatally stabbed and that angered his friend Nelson Ogbebor who rushed to his car to get a gun and shot Osaro dead.
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“The death of Osaro reportedly angered his friends who went on rampage in search of Azali in Ora community where he lived before going to his shop at opposite Ovbiogie Primary School in Ovbiogie Community,near Ekiadolor. They however vented their anger on his shop,destroying it completely”, the source who pleaded not to be named, concluded.
Meanwhile, the police have said that one Mr Jude Azali is wanted over the death of one Osaro Agbonze and his involvement in the crises which have distrupted peace and order in that axis of Benin.
The police have vowed to get all those involved in the killings to face the law, warning the public against what they referred to as the quick and unwarranted resort to self help in resolving disputes.