By A yet to be identified man suspected to be a student of the University of Benin was reportedly attacked and shot dead by a group of armed and masked men near the institution’s main gate at Ugbowo on Sunday evening, May 10.
According to a video circulating online, the victim was said to be driving out of the university premises in a Mercedes Benz GLK after writing an examination in the Department of Political Science when the assailants struck.
An eyewitness in the video alleged that the hoodlums overtook the victim’s vehicle, forced him to stop, and opened fire on him repeatedly.
“This happened before my eyes. They pulled over and shot this guy,” the eyewitness said.
Video Credit: Chris Osas
Reports further indicated that two other unidentified persons were inside the vehicle during the attack. They were said to have sustained severe injuries and were immediately rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital for medical treatment.
The body of the deceased was later evacuated by police operatives from the Ugbowo Divisional Police Headquarters. The Divisional Police Officer, SP Emmanuel, had yet to release an official statement regarding the incident or confirm the identity of the victim as of the time this report was filed.
Meanwhile, no official statement has been issued by the university management concerning the incident. However, there are unverified reports alleging that the institution has distanced itself from the victim, insisting that he was not a student of the university, despite several claims linking him to the Department of Political Science.
The identity of the deceased and the exact circumstances surrounding the attack remain unclear as investigations continue.
