An 85-year-old community leader, Reuben Owie, has been shot dead by gunmen at his residence in Iguosa, near Okhunhun, Benin City, Edo State. Mr Owie, who was the secretary of Iyowa Community, was reportedly attacked at about 8:15 p.m. on Sunday, 2 August by two men, according to the police command in Edo.
Eno Ikoedem, the spokeswoman of the police command, confirmed the incident on Saturday in Benin. Ms Ikoedem said the police received a report from Osayomwanbo Owie, son of the deceased, following the attack at the victim’s residence at No. 2 Abu Street, Iguosa, off Okhunhun Road, Benin City.
“On 2 August 2026, at about 2015hrs, one Osayomwanbo Owie reported that his father, Hon. Reuben Owie, 85 years old, and secretary of Iyowa community, was attacked by two unidentified gunmen at his residence. One of the assailants reportedly shot the victim in the head, resulting in his death,” Ms Ikoedem said in a statement.
The killing of an 85-year-old community leader in his home is a grim reminder of the insecurity that plagues Edo State. The attackers showed no mercy, shooting an elderly man in the head. The police have launched an investigation, but the killing adds to the growing list of violent crimes in the state.
This echoes the 2022 killings of community leaders in Edo, which also involved gunmen attacking victims in their homes. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a state struggling to contain violence.
The winners: none. The losers: the family of Reuben Owie, who have lost a patriarch; the Iyowa Community, which has lost a leader; and the Nigerian state, which has failed to protect its citizens.
Bottom Line: An 85-year-old community leader has been shot dead in Benin. The killers are at large. The question is whether the police will catch them or the case will go cold.