Kunle ADEKABU
-Lagos CP, Onyabo vow to deal decisively with hoodlums
Arrested suspects
Residents of Ikorodu are still living in fears despite the visit of the Lagos Police Commissioner, Mr Zubairu Muazu, to Ikorodu on Friday, June 7,2019, in response to the directive of the recently dissolved 8th Assembly of the Lagos State House of Assembly and the efforts of the combined patrol of the men of the Nigeria Police, Lagos State Neighbourhood Corps and Onyabo vigilance team which have returned normalcy to Ikorodu after the mayhem unleashed by rival cult groups between Thursday (June 6) night and early hours of Friday (June 7).
About five people were reportedly killed in the renewed supremacy crisis between the Eiye and Axe confraternities. The rivalry battle between the two notorious cult groups has reportedly been going on for over a decade in Ikorodu .
According to residents and sources within the local security group that patrolled that the town on that Thursday night and early hours of Friday to curtail the excesses of the members of the rival cult groups, sporadic gun shots were heard in many parts of the town.
Areas mostly affected by the incident were Anibaba, Aga, Ireshe road, Ota-Ona, Obun-Ale, Ajina, Ojurowo, Itunmeko, Itunpate, Ladega, Ayangbure road, Solomade and Isikalu among others.
It was alleged that despite the ceaseless gunshots which claimed some lives and inflicted varying degrees of gunshot wounds on many others, the police failed to intervene.
It was gathered that residents of the affected areas went through a great ordeal as they had sleepless night from Thursday night till Friday morning due to fears occasioned by the sporadic gunshots by the cultists.
Some residents also alleged that members of the Onyabo Vigilance group also failed to respond to their distress calls when the hoodlums were attacking and breaking into shops and carting away valuable items.
Many shops were reportedly vandalized at Ladega market, Owolowo, Ireshe, Alhaji Street and Kutere Street off Ireshe Street.
A chieftain of Onyabo Vigilance group , Mr Lanre Olabinjo, while speaking with our reporter during the group’s patrol on Friday, debunked the allegation that the local security outfit refused to respond to the distress calls by some residents.
“Our men have always patrolled the nooks and crannies of the town and we responded quickly when the hoodlums started on Thursday and we have been patrolling since then”.
He challenged our reporter to visit their office at Mudashiru house along Ireshe road to see how the building and windows were shattered and riddled with bullets after it was allegedly attacked by members of the Eiye confraternity.
“You can go to our office to see how these hoodlums attacked our office with guns. This is as a result of our actions. We have not allowed them any respite. We have been going after them but unfortunately, these criminals are being protected by family members and friends.
Also speaking with our reporter, Mr Lekan Pelumi, the Secretary of the Onyabo Vigilance group , assured residents of the renewed commitment by the security outfit to fight cultism and other crimes in Ikorodu division.
“Our men are now patrolling all nooks and crannies of the town to protect lives and properties of residents as directed by His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabir Shotobi, Ayangbure of Ikorodu.
“Onyabo is now more than before formidable, united and prepared to combat these notorious elements that are disturbing Ikorodu.
Lagos CP Visit To Trouble Areas
Following the directive of the recently dissolved 8th Assembly of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday, June 3, 2019, the Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr Muazu Zubairu, on Friday, June 7,2019, visited Ikorodu to have a firsthand information on the activities of cult members across the town .
The cultism menace in Ikorodu was brought before the House by the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly and the representative of the Ikorodu Constituency I, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, under the Urgent Matter of Public Importance.
Addressing residents and shop owners at Ladega market, Mr Zubairu asked residents to stay calm and go about their businesses.
He assured them that security agencies are on top of the situation.
The police boss charged affected shop owners to lodge complaints at the police station for proper documentation, while also reassuring them that the police are ready to work.
He also gave a stern warning that those arrested in connection with the unrest and shop lifting will be prosecuted.
Over 20 Hoodlums Have Been Arrested In Connection To The Unrest
Mr Lanre Olabinjo, a chieftain of the Onyabo Vigilance group , has stated that about 14 suspects have been arrested since Thursday night in connection with the cultists unrest .
He added that some of the suspected Eiye members that attacked the Onyabo office are also in police net and assured that they are not relenting in ridding Ikorodu of hoodlums.
Another chieftain of the security outfit, Olalekan Pelumi, also confirmed the arrest of the suspects and added that they have all been transferred to the police station for appropriate actions.
“Among the 14 arrested, 10 were men while the remaining 4 were ladies”, Pelumi told our reporter.
He listed the suspects arrested in connection with the attack on the Onyabo office to include Waliu Elekotiwa, Abbey Emo, Femi and Mugambo.
THE IMPACT, however, gathered that as at Friday evening, over 20 suspects were already in the police net .
This, according to report, may be due to more arrest made by the police aside the one made by the Onyabo vigilance group.
Lagos Police Command’s Response
The Lagos Command Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), in his reaction, said the violence occurred around 10pm on Thursday, adding that two cultists died and six injured.
He said that the Friday’s melee was as a result of the police’ clampdown on the hoodlums which led to the arrest of 21 suspects including an alleged notorious kingpin.
Elkana said the police received a distress call that some cult members from two rival groups engaged themselves in supremacy battle along Isikalu palace and Solomade areas of Ikorodu.
“The command’s anti-cultism unit and patrol teams from Ikorodu were promptly drafted to the scene. The leader of the gang, who has been on the wanted list of the command, Yusuf Omidele, popularly known as General, was arrested alongside twenty other cultists.
“General was charged to court on several occasions and sentenced to prison. He completed his last sentence in 2014 and has become an Elder-in- Council in Eiye Confraternity. He led his gang in a reprisal attack on the members of Aiye, whom they alleged to have killed the wife of one of their leaders some weeks ago.
“The suspects arrested belong to both Aye and Eiye confraternities and have all confessed to belonging to secret societies. Two cultists died from the cult clash and six others were injured.
“The massive onslaught launched by the command on cultists and gangsters is a continuous operation with a view to arrest other fleeing members of the gangs. Four locally made pistols, eight matchets and three daggers were recovered. Suspects will be charged to court.
“To proffer lasting solution to youth gangsterism, involvement of teenagers and underage persons in cult activities, especially in Ikorodu, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, on Friday met with traditional rulers, religious leaders, elder statesmen, parents, youths and other stakeholders at Ikorodu. All the stakeholders agreed to join the police in the fight against the menace of cultism and gangsterism,” he said.
As at the time of filing this report, many parts of Ikorodu were still very calm with people living in palpable fears inspite of heavy presence of men of local vigilance groups, Neighbourhood Watch and police who were stationed in strategic places.
Although, social and economic activities are gradually picking up, people are still afraid of what might happen at any moment as rumour of counter-attack are already making the rounds in the town.
