One killed in renewed cult war

A fresh cult war broke out again on Saturday between suspected members of Aiye and Eiye secret cult gangs in the Ijanikin area of Lagos.

One person was reported to have been killed at the end of the battle over who controls the area.

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The Saturday’s killing would be the fifth cult-related gruesome daylight murder that has occurred in the area in the last one month.

A source said the deceased, whose identity could not be ascertained as of press time, was hacked down a few metres away from Ijanikin Police Station.

It was learnt that the deceased was trailed to a sport betting office by over 10 suspected members of Aiye confraternity.

It was also learnt that the deceased tried to run away when he sighted the cultists approaching the gaming office but was stopped on his track.

A wine seller whose shop is located close to the scene who refused to be named alleged that the assailants shot the deceased at point-blank range before they dragged his body out of the place.

The source said the assailants dumped the deceased body by the side of the road, spat on it before they left the place.

“They walked into the community while those around when the incident occurred fled. The body was removed by the police and deposited in the morgue,” the source added.

Muyiwa Adejobi, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, could not confirm the incident as he neither answered his calls nor replied to the text messages sent to him.

Meanwhile, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has declared that his administration would soon set up a Special Task Force to tackle cultism in the state.

He disclosed this at the weekend when he spoke differently at Odogbolu and Sagamu during the ongoing campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of July 24 council polls.

Abiodun said his administration would not allow cultists and other criminal elements to undermine the development of the state.

He also said contrary to the hostile political environment that he inherited in the state, the political temperature of the state is now low, owing to his government’s “inclusive and responsive” governance.

Abiodun said, “I am glad today because there is nothing like gunshots. You can see that the political temperature of Ogun State is so low. We are happy and we enjoy peace of mind. We are all doing our businesses peacefully; no record of killing.

“But few young ones are into cultism, if I lay my hands on you… I am setting up a special task force on cultism. This state will become number 1 in this country.

“And any attempt to undermine that by way of cultism is an act of sabotage and we will stamp it out.”