By: David Osas, Benin city.

Daredevil hoodlums, suspected to be members of the Black Axe Confraternity, attacked House No. 51, Arbiko Street, Upper Sokponba, Benin City, on 24 January 2026 in a renewed assault that allegedly targeted a fugitive fleeing cult-related persecution.

The attackers numbering over 10 it was learnt invaded the house in a gestapo fashion that left many scampering to safety while others were beaten up and bruised.

The criminal gang believed to be those who have been out to eliminate Usiosefe Esosa to prevent his testimony at the prosecution of the suspected killers of his cousin Austin 99 reportedly carried out the attack believing that their target
Esosa, had returned home.

They however mistaken as Esosa’s brother Usiosefe Moses was the one who had been seen by their spies, causing them to strike that caused the destruction of the house with many occupants bruised and traumatized, a development that sent jitters down the spines of distraught residents.

Before the latest attack, Usiosefe Esosa and members of his family eye witnesses said, had been living in fear, a development that caused them to go underground.

He has lived with the scary memories of seeing his cousin Austin , popularly call Austin 99 being murdered on September 5, 2024 by dare devil cultists but not unconscious of the plot by killers of his cousin to kill him too because he had seen their faces and was fully aware of their identities.

With the latest attack on their family house, Esosa increasingly feels unsafe as the criminals have vowed to kill him to suppress the evidence that might nail them in any court or tribunal.

Usiosefe Esosa’s mother has been traumatized by feelers suggesting that her son might never return to her again as every pictures of him had gone viral across the country on the social media platforms of Black-axe confraternity adding that he had been marked for death irrespective of him going into hiding.

According to information made available, armed cultists had stormed his Obagie Non-Kapoor community, Ikpoba Okha Local government area where they shot and killed his cousin Austin 99 in his presence before he managed to escape.

The latest incident has however been reported to the police who have commenced investigations.

Armed gangs including cultists in their devious battles for supremacy, attack those they suspect might give them away for prosecution targeting them for elimination.

Incidencies of reprisal killings among die hard cultists are common place in Nigeria where the effrontery of armed gangs has assumed a frightening dimension with frequent attacks on security formations.

As a result, complaints made to the police against such gangs are often treated with levity, resulting no serious efforts towards arresting the culprits.