Panic erupted around the main entrance of the University of Benin on Sunday evening after gunmen suspected to be assassins shot dead a man believed to be a student of the institution.
The victim was attacked while attempting to drive out of the school premises in a GLK Mercedes Benz with Lagos registration number AAA 601 HT.
According to eyewitnesses, the assailants, who were masked, intercepted the victim’s vehicle using another GLK Mercedes Benz before opening fire on him at close range. After carrying out the attack, the gunmen reportedly abandoned their vehicle and escaped from the scene.
Sources within the university community disclosed that the deceased had reportedly completed an examination in the Political Science Department about an hour before the incident occurred.
Two other occupants inside the vehicle survived the shooting but sustained injuries. They were immediately taken to the university’s health care facility for medical attention.
A student who witnessed the incident said the attackers trapped the victims before firing several shots, causing fear and confusion in the area.
Police officers from the Ugbowo Divisional Headquarters later arrived at the scene to evacuate the corpse and begin preliminary investigations.
The Divisional Police Officer, SP Emmanuel, stated that authorities were still gathering details surrounding the attack and had not issued an official statement.
Meanwhile, another security scare was reported on campus on Saturday after a student was allegedly pursued with a machete near the Social Science Lecture Theatre but escaped without injury.
