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One person has died following alleged drilling during a cult initiation process at Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria’s South-south.
A source told the News Agency of Nigeria that the victim died on Sunday following repeated drilling during the initiation exercise.
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The victim, simply identified as Prosper, was said to have approached a family member, identified as Cosmos, about his willingness to join the Aye confraternity group.
Cosmos, said to be a senior member of the cult group, reportedly linked him with other members to take him to the initiation venue as he was not attending himself.
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But tragedy struck as Prosper was said to have died during the initiation following repeated drills by members.
When contacted on Monday, Moses Yamu, the police spokesperson in Edo, confirmed the incident.
According to him, one suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident.
“The deceased slumped during the initiation and was rushed to a hospital at Jattu, where he was confirmed dead.
“The suspect is in police custody while an investigation into the matter is ongoing,” Mr Yamu, a chief superintendent of police, said.
Edo has remained notorious for cultism and cult-related killings.
The police said in November last year that the spate of cult violence and the proliferation of arms in the state were worrisome.
The then-Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo, while announcing a ban on the activities of Okaigheles (youth leader) in Edo South District, June last year, in a renewed effort to tackle the menace, said the state at some point lost 150 people in five months to cult-related clashes.
Mr Obaseki’s successor, Monday Okpebholo, said in November last year that the state loses over $1 billion worth of investments annually because of cult-related violence.
Mr Okpebholo, just like his predecessor, has declared war on cultism, but the government’s efforts seem to yield little or no success as the killings continued.
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