A final-year student of the University of Benin, identified as Desmond and popularly known as ‘Mayor,’ was shot dead in his room at the Hall 3 Hostel, by unknown gunmen on Monday, April 03, 2023.
Desmond, who was a student in the Department of Public Administration, was reportedly shot at about 9pm, and had no chance of survival after being shot in the face at point-blank range.
According to a student who pleaded anonymity, “The killing of Desmond has caused panic in the school. Students are even afraid to stay in the hostel.”
As at the time of filing this report, his remains had been deposited in the mortuary at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
The Kegite Club and history of killings
It suspected that the shooting maybe cult-related as Desmond was a Kegite chief
The Kegite Club, also known as the Supreeme Confraternity, is a social club that originated in Nigeria in the 1950s. The club is known for its unique culture, which includes dancing, singing, and the use of slangs and idioms known as “KegEnglish.”
The club was formed as a way to promote camaraderie and solidarity among university students, but over the years, it has been associated with violent activities and cultism. While the club officially denounces any connection to cultism, some members have been implicated in violent incidents in the past.
Similar to Desmond, during 2013 Penultimate week in UNIBEN, a final year (400L) student of Linguistics, Evans Ekohodo, was shot at Osasogie, another off-campus community. Interestingly, Ekohodo was the head of the Kegites club at the time.
Many have said that the school is notorious of such cult-related shootings.
Efforts to get a reaction from the school’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, proved abortive as a WhatsApp messages sent to her by newsmen met silence.
The incident is currently being investigated by the appropriate authorities, and the motive behind the shooting is yet to be ascertained.
