Crime

Cult war in Edo – How a young physiotherapist was gunned down in error

When 27-year-old Alex Ogunbiyi stepped out of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) on a routine lunch break, no one imagined it would be his last walk. But by the time bullets tore through the air at the hospital’s back gate, he lay lifeless on the pavement—caught in the crossfire of a ruthless cult clash that has once again shattered the illusion of safety in Edo State.

Published

1 year ago

April 30, 2025

Emmanuel Abiodun

By By Eben Enasco -A brazen cult clash at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) has tragically claimed the life of a young physiotherapist, 27-year-old Alex Ogunbiyi. He was caught in the crossfire when violence erupted at the hospital’s back gate during what should have been a routine lunch break, shattering the already fragile sense of safety in Edo State.

Now, colleagues mourn, a family is shattered, and an institution is left grappling with a tragedy that has sparked outrage and fear across the Benin City medical community.

“I got a call last Friday while in the office,” said a visibly shaken Professor Darlington Obaseki, Chief Medical Director of UBTH.

“They were shooting at the back gate. I wasn’t sure if one of ours was involved—until I saw Alex on the ground.”

Ogunbiyi, a newly employed physiotherapist with just over a year at UBTH, was reportedly a bystander—an innocent young man who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Eyewitnesses say suspected cultists were chasing a rival group and fired indiscriminately at a vehicle near the hospital’s rear gate.

One bullet hit Alex.

The hospital’s emergency team did all they could to save him. “Our team responded immediately,” Professor Obaseki recalled, his voice cracking. “But it was too late.”

At a solemn memorial service held Wednesday at the UBTH Sports Complex, grief hung heavy.

Professor Obaseki, who has managed some of the hospital’s most complex challenges, called this the hardest moment of his career.

“He came to do his job and died in the most painful way. This is pure evil.”

The ceremony was attended by hospital staff, members of the Nigerian Society of Physiotherapy, grieving family members, and the broader UBTH community.

Dr. Chigoze Obaseki, Acting Head of the Physiotherapy Department, described Ogunbiyi as “brilliant, dedicated, and kind—someone who would have made a remarkable impact in healthcare.”

But now, that promise is gone.

His older cousin, Felix Ogunbiyi, gave a heart-wrenching eulogy. “Alex lost his mother 14 years ago. His father is sick. And now we have lost him—to stray bullets from useless cultists. This pain will never leave us.”

May 8th would have been his 28th birthday.

Alex’s death is more than just another number in Edo State’s rising toll of cult-related violence.

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It is a searing indictment of the unchecked brutality in communities where gangs settle scores with impunity—often just meters from institutions meant to save lives.

Despite recent crackdowns by the Edo State government, cult violence has continued to haunt the streets of Benin.

In March, the police launched Operation Flush Out, targeting cult strongholds. But critics argue that the response remains reactive and lacks the intelligence-driven depth required to dismantle these deeply entrenched networks.

Back at UBTH, staff members are calling for tighter security around the hospital and renewed efforts from law enforcement. “No one should go to work wondering if they’ll make it home,” said a colleague who asked not to be named.

The question now is whether the killing of an innocent health worker—on hospital grounds—will finally galvanize authorities to take decisive and sustainable action.

As the sun set over Benin that day, another bright future was extinguished.

Alex Ogunbiyi wanted to heal. Instead, he became a casualty of a war he never signed up for.

Who will be next, if nothing changes?