This weekly update spotlights organized criminality in the Niger Delta with a focus on criminal violence and clashes between cult gangs in Edo State. According to data (see map above), organized criminal violence caused over 200 fatalities in Edo State between January 2021 and June 2023. Recent data shows a rise in organized criminal violence in the State. In July 2023, for instance, gunmen reportedly ambushed a private vehicle, killed the male driver and abducted two of his siblings along Igarra-Ebilo Road in Akoko-Edo LGA. In August, gunmen reportedly attacked a church, shot the pastor and killed his wife in Benin City, Oredo LGA. Separately, in August, gunmen suspected to be robbers allegedly attacked a military patrol van, killed a soldier and made away with a bag containing money in Benin City, the state capital. Recently, on August 30, 2023, about 10 persons were reportedly killed in a series of clashes between rival cult gangs at different locations in Benin City, Oredo LGA. Same day, a female student and a revenue collector were reportedly killed during a clash between cult gangs in Auchi town, Etsako West LGA.
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