A 10-year-old girl simply identified as Mariam has been reported dead after she sustained a serious gunshot wound when some suspected cult members engaged in a supremacy battle at Oja Oba, an ancient market in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

According to eyewitnesses, the suspected cultists from Eye and Aye confraternities stormed the market and began shooting indiscriminately. One of the gunshots fired hit Mariam and her three-year-old brother, Abdulraheem. Marian sadly lost so much blood and passed on from the wound she sustained.

The Aiye members were said to have trailed a rival member known as Efo to a place close to the market where they opened fire at him. This led to an exchange of gunshots between the rival cultgroups.

It was gathered that Mariam and Abdulraheem were with their mother, Kehinde, who sells bread at a stand within the market, when a stray bullet hit them. A young man identified as Sulyman was also said to have been hacked to death during the clash.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the state police command said investigation has commenced into the unfortunate incident. He however added that he isn’t aware of the fatalities.