By Eben Enasco
Although skeet shooting, sporting clays, and traps, seem to be the same, organized crime shooting could mean death when a spinning Pellet at a close range hit the targeted object.
The murder of Desmond Mayor, a 400-level student of Public Administration at the University of Benin, on Monday, March 3, 2023, threw the University community on the edge and made many pensive and downcast ever since it first appeared in the public domain.
The dastardly murder is one event of 2023, that threw all into spasms and whenever the mind reflects on it, we are unable to reconcile the gravity of this evil with the aesthetic beauty of life as God’s creation.
The news of the University of Benin Student killings brought apprehensions within the larger society when it first hit the airwaves like most speculations, but as the clock ticked, there was a clearer picture and a sadder tune to the disbelief of Nigerians.
It will thus be a wonky analysis to submit that, in the world today, there is a recent implosion of evil and wickedness, or that modernity has made the global atrocity paradigm shoot up.
The case of the suspected Killer, the point-blank shooting of Desmond Mayor on Monday and so many others which occurred and are still occurring in the world have provoked so many unanswered or unanswerable questions.
They range from whether the University community in Edo State is safe for habitation, and or, to whether the deadly Cultism has returned to open confrontations within the university campuses, despite the huge numbers of security personnel officially engaged by the administration of Professor Lilian Salami.
In recent statistics obtained during our investigations, it was learned that the University of Benin has employed more Internal Security Men than any previous administration.
Conventional security operatives cut across the board have also been engaged to complement the Security voyage more than any other administration in the history of the University.
The steps thus taken by the Vice Chancellor, were perhaps, to have a more conducive environment where confidence is enthroned in the learning curve within the University premises or campus.
With the moves by the VC, there seems to be an area not addressed by the initiative leading to a shout to overhaul the security network.
The killing of Mayor is a serious indictment of the internal security structure within the University where questions have been raised by members of the society, calling it a failure on their part.
However, with the recent development, parents, and guardians expectedly infer that they need a special conviction that the University environment is safe for learning.
In our quest to get more information on how the suspected killers executed the dastardly act, an insider made us believe that it was an “organized crime.”
The source, who claimed he had been part of the security framework but has transformed to be a lecturer in the University after serving for many years as a security guard said: “The crime had been planned for many weeks and there is no way it would have been possible to easily apprehend the culprit at the spot when he made attempts to convince our crew they are part of the system.”
The unauthorized source said there are instances where the assailant wears double shirts and after committing the act, removes the top layer and puts on the inner shirt, thereby, concocting a disguise of them being the perpetrators.
At that level, the source explained, it is difficult to identify the culprit but said plans are in top gear to track those who partook in the deadly act.
Looking at some of the reasons he cited, it is possible for them to easily flow with the trend of the atmosphere unknown to anybody after committing the crime.
But taking a critical assessment of the whole incident, it would be difficult to believe that the University of Benin which had enviably enjoyed an organized security structure, could not clamp down on the suspected killers inside the campus.
Pertinent questions raised in some quarters include: was there no one around the hostel when the suspected criminals committed the act?
Where were the security officers when the gun was shot at least twice? Are people denying there was no gunshot sound even though it is believed to be a silent gun?
How did those who brought in the guns beat the security checkups, especially after the resumption of students?
Or there are no mechanisms put in place to search for students returning to their various hostels when the school calls for resumption?
Again, against this backdrop, who are those responsible for the search carried out on students returning to campus?
However, reactions have trailed the killing of Desmond Mayor within and outside the University community, which caused upset and pandemonium.
Joshua Osarose, a student of the University community, in his reaction described the melee caused by the incident as a rude shock and a testament to a failing system.
He argued that with the recent circumstance, he wonders if there is anywhere safe for the students, just as he urged for more intelligence gathering to apprehend the suspected killers.
Elsewhere, the leadership of the National Youth Council Of Nigeria, Edo State Chapter also Condemned Mayor’s killing.
It said an attack of this nature in schools is unacceptable and must be prevented, just as it added that
It is high time as young people and citizens of Edo state, the society work towards aiding the growth of fellow young persons and not strike selves with the rod of hatred which inflicts pains and sorrows on all.
The death of this young man is a great loss to both the university and the nation at large.
The AG-Chairman, Peter Aguebor in a statement released, called on the law enforcement agency to conduct a prompt, thorough, and honest investigation into this case in ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
Now the question is, with the momentum created by the killing inside the campus, how safe will anyone argue that the safety of Professor Lillian Salami, the Vice Chancellor, and other decision makers within the University is guaranteed after the assailant unimaginably beat the Security intelligence?
A statement released by the Management of the University of Benin condemned the brutal killing.
Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, the Public Relations Officer of the institution said the gruesome murder occurred in one of the Halls of Residence and was carried out by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
While commiserating with the family and colleagues of the late student, Management, she enjoined other students to be calm as the Police, as well as other Security Agencies, are working hard to fish out and arrest the culprit.
Ehanire added that the Management was also working closely with the internal security units in ensuring that such a dastardly incident does not occur again within the University’s premises.
The University authority, according to her, declared Tuesday, April 4, 2023, lecture-free following the traumatic murder incident which occurred at the University’s campus on Monday night.
This murder should make many specks dust up their handbooks on the philosophy of evil and wickedness.
I wanted a clue as to why this horror happened and why our world’s most fitting alias is wickedness.
Let it not be said that, like Nigeria Government is fond of always condemning insurgents’ numerous attacks on Countrymen without proven action, the management of the University of Benin, will have to do more than just condemn it like them.
But, if, this must be avoided, I am recommending that the University authority should install or upgrade its security facilities, especially in the procurement of CCTV Cameras around hostels and other sensitive areas.
That way, the level of threats posed by future infractions will reduce if not wiped out as fear of cameras revealing footage of crime perpetrators will scare suspected criminals.
