Several People Killed, Others Injured as Festival Turns Fatal in Delta
- Three youths were killed and five others wounded during the annual festival of Eku community in Delta State's Ethiope East LGA on Monday night, September 21
- Videos and photos from the scene spread online from around 8:30 pm, raising tension across the community
- Security operatives moved into Eku community shortly after news of the killings broke, while some residents left the area ahead of their arrival
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues.
Asaba, Delta State - Three young men were shot dead and five others injured during the annual traditional festival of the Eku community in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State on Monday night, September 21, 2026.
Videos and photographs purportedly showing the aftermath of the killings began circulating online from about 8:30 pm, heightening tension within the community.
Source: Original
Per Vanguard, sources within the Urhobo community linked the killings to an alleged supremacy dispute between rival groups competing for territorial control in the area. However, it could not be independently confirmed whether the victims belonged to any group or whether the violence was cult-related.
PM News also reported the unfortunate update from Delta.
What witnesses saw at Eku festival
According to eyewitness accounts, residents were still in a festive mood, with many gathered at drinking spots around Osuere, considered the historical heart of the town, when a phone call set off the violence. One person at the gathering reportedly received word that a member of his group had been shot elsewhere in the community.
"Without trying to verify the information, he reportedly ran to his vehicle, brought out a pump-action rifle and opened fire at three youths at different locations," sources said.
It was later discovered that one of the deceased also sustained a cutlass wound to the neck.
Beyond the shootings, about five other people were taken to hospitals in the local government area after suffering deep cuts from cutlasses during the festival.
A resident named Kenneth explained that cutlass use is a recognised part of the festival tradition, but that it can sometimes lead to retaliatory violence when someone is seriously hurt.
"We dance with cutlasses during the festival and sometimes use them on ourselves. If you cut someone with a cutlass and the injury is serious, the person may retaliate. That was how some people sustained injuries and were taken to hospital," he said.
Delta: Security moves into Eku community
Security operatives were deployed to the community shortly after news of the deaths spread, working to restore order and prevent further bloodshed. The area was calm as of press time.
Reports indicated that some youths left Eku in a hurry ahead of the security deployment. A local source clarified that not everyone who fled was necessarily connected to the incident, suggesting some residents left out of fear of being caught up in potential arrests.
See a photo from the festival below via X:
Read more Delta state news
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Killings recorded in Lagos
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Lagos police command arrested 23 suspected cult members in connection with the killings in Lekki area of the state.
Three persons were violently murdered and many others injured during a cult war that erupted among rival cult gangs in Lekki Phase 1.
Source: Legit.ng
