7 feared killed, 16 arrested in renewed Lagos cult war
At least seven people are feared killed and several others injured in a renewed bloody clash between rival suspected members of the Aiye and Eiye secret cult gangs in Badia Ijora area of Lagos.
Aside the reported killings, property worth millions of naira were also destroyed in the clash.
Sources said some of the cult gang members also looted shops and homes of victims in the area before the police moved in to quell the situation.
Two other persons were said to have sustained gunshot wounds from the hoodlums during the bloody clash which occurred last week in Badia, a suburb of Lagos in ApapaIganmu council area of the state.
Witnesses said the hoodlums engaged themselves with dangerous weapons which included locally made pistols, rifles and machetes.
A marketing staff of Leadway Assurance Company, identified as Muyideen Saka of 30B Baale Street, and one Wasiu Ajani of 42 Baale Street were among those reportedly shot dead by the bandits.
Another victim identified as Wasiu Jimoh of 36 Church Street, had his household property estimated at millions of naira looted.
Similarly, the residence of the founder of Liberty Church of Zion, Primate Ayanfe Ikuyinminu located behind Ajeromi Primary schools and others were also looted by the hoodlums, who carted away cash and household items.
It was gathered that the four other deceased persons, two of them identified only as Ejima and Noah, were members of the two warring gangs that unleashed the terror.
It was also learnt that 16 suspects were arrested when the DPO of Badia Police Station CSP Idyar Apev, led his men and a team from the Anti-Cultism Unit to Railway Line while the shootout lasted and recovered 10 expended cartridges.
The suspects arrested are reportedly undergoing interrogation at the AntiCultism Unit of the command.
However residents said the real perpetrators of the carnage have not been arrested.
They alleged that the mayhem was caused by members of two rival gangs named ‘Suara and Railway Boys’.
A resident who spoke under condition of anonymity for fear of being attacked, said trouble started last Sunday when some armed youth invaded the Railway Line section of the community, shooting sporadically and injuring some residents.
They were said to have been repelled by the Railway boys, who chased them towards the white sand area of the community and killed two among them.
“Following the killing of the two Suara boys, they regrouped the following day, Monday and launched a reprisal attack on the Railway boys and also killed two among them named Ejima and Noah.
“In their bid to retaliate, the Railway boys pursued them and they ran in the direction of Baale and Church streets where they turned it to a theatre of war. They shot Muyideen and Wasiu (aka Orobo) in their stomach and Yusuf on the leg. While Wasiu died instantly, Muyideen died in hospital the following day,” the source, who is one of the community leaders, said.
He added that the community leaders have engaged the services of members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) to partner with the police to protect the community.
As at the time of filing this report, efforts to get the comment of the Lagos State police spokesman, CSP Chike Oti, on the incident proved abortive as he failed to respond to calls put across to him.