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 21Videos and photos from the scene spread online from around 8:30 pm, raising tension across the communitySecurity operatives moved into Eku community shortly after news of the killings broke, while some residents left the area ahead of their arrivalPAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!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.Three people were killed and five others injured after violence erupted during a festival in Delta State. Source: OriginalPer 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.PAY ATTENTION: From breaking news to viral moments. Follow Legit.ng on Instagram!PM News also reported the unfortunate update from Delta.What witnesses saw at Eku festivalAccording 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 communitySecurity 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 incident scene below via Facebook:Read more Delta state news”We’re living in fear:” Delta residents cry out as gunmen brutally kill popular university professorThe University of Delta, Agbor courses, cut-off mark and admission requirementsKillings recorded in LagosEarlier, 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 Ridwan Adeola Yusuf (Current Affairs Editor) Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is a content writer with more than nine years of experience, He is also a Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State (2014). Ridwan previously worked at Africa Check, contributing to fact-checking research works within the organisation.
He is an active member of the Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI). In March 2024, Ridwan completed the full Google News Initiative Lab workshop and his effort was recognised with a Certificate of Completion. Email: ridwan.adeola@corp.legit.ng. Delta State Uae Zimbabwe Brandy Australia Sadia sanusi
