By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN CITY—FOLLOWING the recent cult wars, which led to the death of eight persons in different parts of Edo State, All Progressives Congress, APC, youths in the state, yesterday, urged the state House of Assembly to pass laws prescribing death penalty for cultists.

It will be recalled that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Foluso Adebanjo, had disclosed that over 10 persons have been arrested in the recent cult killings in the state.

An APC Youth Leader, Mr Tony Adun, who spoke in Benin City on the prevalent cult related killings in the state, described the trend as wicked and worrisome, adding that unless similar law passed on kidnapping, which is death sentence was passed, innocent youths will continue to meet their untimely death.

“We are tired of people being killed every day in Benin City as a result of stupid cult wars. It is evil in the sight of God and man and such ungodly attitude must be checked else people will continue to be killed every day. The other day, an O’dua People Congress, OPC leader was shot dead after attending a meeting of his community in Uwelu. A bus conductor was killed at New Benin last week.

“This is madness. These people are our youths and their lives cannot continue to be cut short by wicked people. We know that the Edo State Police Commissioner is doing his best to stop them but we need the state House of Assembly to pass laws like they did in the case of kidnapping so that anybody caught killing in the name of cultism will face death penalty. The house they operates from should also be destroyed.

“As it is now, this is the only language these people understand. It will check their excesses so that we will have peace. It has worked in the case of kidnapping and we believe that it will work if it is also applied to cultists,” he stated.