UNIBEN Cult Committee Chairman Resigns After Student Killing, Alleges Ignored Security Warning

The Chairman of the Cult Renunciation, Reconciliation, Reformation, Rehabilitation and Interfaith Committee (CR4IC) at the University of Benin, The Venerable Egbenusi Osazee David, has resigned his position following the fatal shooting of a student near the university’s main gate in Benin City.

The resignation came hours after a yet-to-be-identified part-time student of the institution was reportedly shot dead inside his vehicle near the Ugbowo campus main gate on Sunday, an incident widely believed to be connected to cult-related violence.

In a resignation letter dated May 10, 2026, addressed to the Vice Chancellor of the university, Rev. David cited what he described as institutional inaction and threatening conduct from the university leadership following warnings he sent prior to the incident.

According to the letter, the chaplain said he had earlier received a video clip showing suspected cult activity on campus and promptly forwarded it to the Vice Chancellor for urgent attention.

He wrote that he sent the message with the note:
“Good afternoon, dear V.C. I just got this clip. I supposed it may be useful for your decisions and necessary action.” However, he explained that roughly two hours later, gunshots were heard near the Chapel Vicarage, after which he received additional video clips showing a violent cult confrontation in which a person was killed near the school gate.

Rev. David claimed that when he forwarded the clips documenting the incident, the Vice Chancellor telephoned him and demanded that he delete them. In the letter, he wrote: “Within minutes, you telephoned me… demanding that I delete the clips I had transmitted; clips that constitute a contemporaneous record of a violent incident in which a human life was lost.”

He further alleged that the Vice Chancellor issued a countdown ultimatum instructing him to erase the materials, “You issued a countdown ultimatum, beginning at five minutes, which you then reduced to three minutes, and then to two… within which you required me to delete the materials.”

According to him, threats were also made to report him to the leadership of the Anglican Communion and to deploy security personnel to remove him from the Chapel Vicarage if he failed to comply.

Rev. David insisted in the letter that he refused to delete the materials because they could serve as evidence in any investigation, “I must also state… that I have not deleted the said clips and shall not do so. A human life was lost this evening.”

He added that any legal or investigative process requires that such evidence be preserved rather than destroyed at the instruction of an administrator.

Beyond the immediate dispute, the chaplain also accused the institution of failing to act on earlier proposals aimed at tackling cultism on campus, “Since my appointment as Chairman of the CR4IC, I have submitted proposals aimed at advancing the committee’s mandate… To date, those proposals have not received the institutional response or implementation necessary.”

He argued that a committee whose recommendations are consistently ignored “ceases to be an instrument of change.” Consequently, he announced his decision to step down, “For the foregoing reasons… I hereby resign the chairmanship of the CR4IC with immediate effect.”

Despite resigning from the committee, Rev. David said he would continue to serve the university community in his role as chaplain, “We shall continue to serve, to pray, to advocate, and to speak truth to power… Threats do not silence a prophetic conscience.”

Earlier reports had revealed that the victim, believed to be a part-time student, was shot inside his vehicle near the university’s main gate shortly after completing his examinations, though details about the circumstances remain unclear.

The management of the University of Benin has reportedly distanced the institution from the killing, suggesting that it may have been linked to cult-related activities occurring outside the campus environment.

At the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force had yet to issue a detailed statement confirming arrests or the exact circumstances surrounding the attack.