Cult killings in Lagos State have been a growing concern for residents and authorities alike. The rate of gang and cult wars has been on the rise in many parts of the state in recent time. The police in the state have had a hectic time dealing with violent cult clashes among rival cult group in Ibeju-Lekki, Ikorodu, Somolu, Ajah, Ketu, Mushin, Agege, Bariga and other parts of the state in the last few months.
The effect of the increase in criminal activities in the state is fast spreading to neighbouring Ogun communities like Arepo, Magboro, Ogijo, Mowe and other places. Members of different confraternities have been locked in supremacy battles that have resulted in the deaths of several people and property destroyed.
Despite the onslaught against the cult members by the police in the state, there have been increasing cases of killing and violent clashes, especially in Ajegunle, Ketu, Bariga, Somolu and many communities in Ikorodu.
Cult members killed
Some days ago, three persons suspected to be rival cult members were killed in a bloody clash that erupted between two rival cult gangs, the Aiye and Eiye confraternity in the Somulu area of the state. Many others also sustained varying degrees of machete wounds during the clash on Wednesday July 5, and caused serious panic in the community before police intervened and restored normalcy to the area. Our correspondent learnt that the clash started around Ladi-Lak area of Bariga and moved to Egberongbe area in Somolu around 8.30pm and later spread to the University of Lagos area in the process of chasing each other around.
Sources said the cult gang members went after each other with various dangerous weapons such as dane guns, cutlasses, woods and charm. A vulcaniser, Ojo Dauda, at Ladi-Lak junction, said one of the victims who sustained bullet wounds is currently in a critical condition in an undisclosed hospital in the area. “The victim known as Sheriff Oba, was rescued by his gang members.
He had a deep machete cut on his head, while his members also sustained injuries in the cause of rescuing him. It was war in our area, we need peace. After the clash, three members of the rival cult group were gun down in an attack by the other group. A resident who owns a chemist shop in the area, who simply gave his name as Emeka, said he noticed early last week, that some cultists were preparing to mark 777 day celebration.
He said late Wednesday he heard continuous gunshots around 8pm and that shop owners quickly closed up for business for fear of being caught in the crossfire. “The shooting started last night around Idi-aba area popularly known to be the hideout of notorious cultists and major base of drug dealers. It later spread towards Akilo, Sungas, and inwards Olorunkemi Street in Somolu area where innocent passersby sustained varying degrees of injury.”
In another development, a suspected cultist on Saturday July 8, 2023, Idris Ayinla, opened fire on police patrol team along Admiralty Way, Lekki in the state. The suspect along with two others were said to be driving in a Toyota Matrix with registration number EKY 638 EX, when they were flagged down by operatives of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad (RRS).
Ayinla, 33, alongside three other occupants were heading towards Oniru Beach when the operatives on routine patrol of Admiralty Road, Ikoyi flagged them down. But after the driver of the vehicle had brought the car to a stop, one of the occupants offered the officers some money, which they declined, rather insisting on searching the vehicle. Sensing danger, the suspects all ran out of the car and Ayinla, shot at the operatives while attempting to escape.
The operatives responded swiftly, as a result of which he sustained a gunshot wound on his leg, arrested him and recovered his firearm. While the team also recovered one semi-automatic pistol, four live ammunition and one hat with cult insignia from the suspect. Also, six suspected cult members who have been terrorising residents of Isiu and Aleke areas of Ikorodu were arrested by the police in the Odogbolu area of Ogun State, where they had gone to get more arms and ammunition for their operation.
A senior police officer who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity admitted that there had been an increase in the number of cult-related crimes in the state, but pointed out that this was not peculiar to Lagos. He stressed that the crime rate in Lagos was even low compared to some states in the South- South and South East part of the country.
Initiation
Police in Lagos also arrested five cultists while performing initiation on new members at the Ajegunle area of the state. Those arrested were identified as Peter Od- umola, 19, Promise Benjamin , 20, Emmanuel Ikechuckwu, 19, Richards Adu,18 and Abdullahi Nasiru, 20.
The suspects were arrested on Sunday, July 9, 2023 at about 2am following receipt of a distress call concerning an ongoing forceful initiation happening in a hotel in the Ajegunle area of state. “The victims were successfully rescued.
The suspects will be arraigned upon conclusion of investigations, and residents were warned to always inform police of happenings in their area to prevent crime and criminality in the state.
Rival cult clash
All hell was let lose at Ajegunle area of Lagos during a free for all that erupted between two rival cult gangs. At least one person was said to have been feared killed and many others injured during the fracas that started on Friday and lasted till Saturday morning at Opaleye Street, in the Ajegunle area. Police said two persons have since been arrested for their alleged involvement in the crisis that grounded human and vehicular movement in the area until the arrival of Anti-Riot policemen.
Those arrested were identified as, Quadri Ye- kini and James Segun aged 32 and 22 respectively. It will also be re- called that a Naval rating, one AS Harrison, was hacked down along Olowojeunjeje Street, Ajegunle, by some hoodlums suspected to be members of the “Catch in the Air” robbery gang. The killing of the Naval rating created heavy tension as personnel of the Nigerian Navy and friends of the deceased who resides at the Mobil road barrack, Ajegunle, vowed to avenge the death of their colleague.
However, naval authority has since called them to order. But the weekend fracas was a fallout of the 777 day celebrated by cultists yearly. It was learnt that the hoodlums attacked themselves with dangerous weapons such as cutlasses, bottles and guns. Benjamin Kojo, a resident of the area said that they started hearing the sound of gunshots on Friday afternoon, forcing residents to abandon the street It was confirmed that the incident on July 7, 2023, saw youths from Aroworade and Olaleye streets in Ajegunle engaging in street fights. Policemen from the Ajegunle Division responded swiftly, preventing any casualty.
But two arrested suspects, Quadri Yekini and James Segun aged 32 respectively, would be arraigned upon conclusion of investigations.”
Revenge mission
Two suspected cultists, Adeniyi Idris 27 and Jubril Alabi who was trying to revenge the death of their colleague were arrested by the police at Mushin area of the state. The Eiye confraternity member were said to be on a revenge mission over the death of one of their colleague, but they were nabbed before they could execute their plans of killing some members of their rival group, Aiye confraternity.
A police source at Mushin Police Station said the suspects were arrested at Mushin Bus Stop with one locally made pistol and also confessed to the police to be a members of Eiye confraternity, terrorising Abattoir area of Agege, Lagos. The source added that the suspect confessed to have bought the gun they wanted to use at Mushin for the purpose of revenging the death of one of their members, who was killed by rival members of Aiye cult group at Abattoir.
The officer continued that the arrest of the suspects saved the area of another crisis as there would have been another bloody clash between the two rival groups. Meanwhile, residents have expressed concern that cult members are now lords of their communities, as it requires concerted effort from all stakeholders to work together and nip them in the bud, because the activities of the fraternities are threatening the peace of major communities in the state.
Police accused in Ikorodu
The secretary of Kajola Community Development Association in the Igbo Olomu area of Ikorodu, who simply gave his name as Sileola said: “Cultism is now their major problem since the issue of bunkering and pipeline vandalism was tackled by the military through the intervention of the Federal Government. “I moved here in 2012. There were some gangsters who were suspected to be cultists, but there were just a few of them then.
But over the years, the situation has worsened. Now you see them in groups at Psychiatric, Elepe, Igbo Olomu, Magbon Junction, Baale and Elepe smoking and harass- ing law-abiding residents. The greatest problem is when the groups are at war with each other. You dare not come out as they take advantage of the situation to rob people.
“At a time, some of us, including the CDA chairman, visited the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ogijo Police Station and he organised an operation that led to the arrest of some of them. They were however released after some time and they returned to ‘duty’. They have initiated some landlords’ children and it has been difficult to really deal with them.
“A few weeks ago, a leader of one of the cult groups in the Owode Onirin, Ketu and Mile 12 areas identified simply as Salakwa was killed. His death practically paralysed economic and other activities in the areas with no fewer than five people killed in reprisal, while vehicles and other properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.”
Schools shut gates
The Ketu-Mile 12 axis has for long been a den of cultists. A resident of the area, Ovosi, told our correspondent that whenever cultists went on rampage, schools always close their gates for more than a week. Parents cannot send their children to school for fear that the cult guys might strike.
The community leader, who said that he moved into the area in 2009, added that cultism had taken a new turn in the area and was becoming alarming every passing day. He called on the state government to find a lasting solution to the scourge. He said: “What we had in the past were clashes between Yorubas and Hausas, but now our greatest challenge is cultism.
It is alarming that they are now initiating teenagers into the different cult groups. Some of these cult leaders have the support of their parents. “They no longer fight with themselves alone; they take advantage of the clashes to rob and to loot. Now it is a major challenge because some Hausa boys who have been here for a long time and have themselves become Yoruba have been initiated into the cult groups and whenever any of them is killed, it becomes an ethnic clash.”
Police reaction
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin reacting to the increase in cultists cases in the state, said the command is making arrest and prosecution. He said: “We are arresting and prosecuting. We also do advocacy and encourage leaders in every communities in Lagos to prevail on their followership to desist from cultism and other criminal act.”