By BABALOLA HAKEEM
Twenty four hours after the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, arrested and paraded 202 suspected Aiye and Eiye cultists in Ikorodu, the groups engaged one another in a violent free-for-all that claimed the lives of two persons.
It was learnt that the clash broke out on Tuesday after the police commissioner paraded the suspects and displayed the guns and live ammunitions recovered from the suspected cultists at the Ikorodu Police Divisional headquarters on Monday.
Our correspondent gathered that the clash broke out as a result of the arrest of the Aiye leader identified as Yusuf Omidele by the operatives of the Anti-cultists’ unit of the Lagos State Police Command on Saturday last week at Igbogbo area.
It was learnt that panic had gripped Igbogbo residents since the clash between the rival Eiye and Aiye cult groups. Some of the residents were said to have moved out from the area for fear of being caught in a crossfire during inter-cult clashes.
A resident of Igbogbo, who did not want his name in print, said it was the killing of Omidele’s younger brother and his girlfriend that had sparked off the cult clashes now ravaging the Ikorodu and Igbogbo areas.
He said, “On Thursday last week at Igbogbo, some suspected Eiye members stormed the house of the Aiye leader, one Omidele, ostensibly to kill him, but he wasn’t at home; instead of them to leave empty handed they shot his younger brother and his girlfriend.
“The death of Omidele’s younger brother and his girlfriend sparked off the present killings and maiming we are witnessing today in our community and some other part of the states, because the two rival groups have members in every parts of the state.”
A resident of Igbogbo, Sulaimon Adebanjo, said since the fight broke out last week Thursday and Friday, they had not known peace in their community over the killings.
“We are all living in fear, because each group is killing each other; as at Monday, I have counted 15 dead, including the two killed on Tuesday after the commissioner of police visited the area. The total number of those killed now stands at 17; I believe more are still coming because they are not done with their attacks,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bariga and Somolu areas of the state were not left out of the killings by the cultists, on Thursday and Friday, while about seven suspected cultist have been killed so far.
According to the police boss, “tackling cultism requires a holistic approach; we intend to adopt community policing approach. We would establish police-students’ relations committee, comprising all the students’ union presidents and other student
leaders.
He said, “We have observed the activities of those cult groups and gangs for the last one month and credible intelligence was gathered. We have reviewed our strategies and have initiated far-reaching approach to totally eradicate this menace; as a result of that we have rejigged our anti-cultist unit to effectively combat those miscreants, who have chosen the wrong path of life in the state.
“We are committed to the fight against cultism; we would fish them out, isolate them and bring them to justice. We are battle ready to uproot every cultists’ den and hideout until they are totally defeated. The special operation that will uproot the cultists out of the state was code name ‘Operation Crush’; we are doing this to end cultism and gangsters. The operation will be under the command of Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, while the CP will personally lead the various operations in their areas of
jurisdiction.
“I want to warn the cultists to renounce their membership or be prepared to face the full weight of the law because, this is a promise to parents and guardians of the
youths.”
