Kunle Adelabu
-As cult members ignore Gov’s olive branch
There are clear indications that cultists in Ikorodu Division, who have been engaging in gang war for over a decade, are not in any way ready to stop their dastardly war against one another as another gang battle left another five people dead on Monday, November 2, 2019.
The cult unrest has been disrupting social and economic lives of Ikorodu for sometimes now and has been responsible for the untimely death of many residents.
To these cultists, the recent olive branch extended to them by Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to lay down their arms and renounce their membership of the cult groups for State pardon is just a mere pronouncement as they are hell bent on annihilating their rival groups.
After few months of relative peace, THE IMPACT gathered that members of the Eiye Confraternity attacked and killed a member of a rival cult (Axe Confraternity) on Saturday, November 16, 2019.
Three days later, according to a reliable source within the Ikorodu community policing structure, Onyabo Vigilance Group (OVG), members of the Aiye cult group struck back by attacking a member of Eiye cult group behind the Conoil filling station at Ikorodu garage. The attackers allegedly severed one of the hands of their victim and took it away.
In another retaliation, Eiye confraternity hit squad again attacked another rival gang’s member at Itagbodo but unfortunately, the guy survived the attack and as we reliably gathered was able to identify some of his attackers to his gang members.
Also on Sunday, November 31, members of the Aiye cult group again unleashed terror at Alara in Ladega, which known by many as a red spot in Ikorodu, and killed another member of Eiye cult group.
Our source reported that the slain suspected Eiye cult member was not residing in Ikorodu but only come around to operate whenever there is crisis.
As expected, the Sunday attack resulted in another reprisal attack on Monday (yesterday) when members of the Eiye cult group carried out a deadly attack which resulted in the killing of a chieftain of the Axe confraternity.
THE IMPACT gathered that the suspected cult leader, who was known as Alaba, had gone to Owolowo area in Ikorodu to collect money as usual.
Sources that spoke with our reporter stated that his attacker laid ambush for him immediately they sighted him on a motorcycle.
It was gathered that Alaba took to his heels when he noticed the ambush but his assailants were said to have pursued him and subsequently apprehended him inside a popular house (name withheld) at Owolowo where he was killed.
THE IMPACT further gathered that four young men, allegedly belonging to rival groups, have been killed in gang war within the last 74 hours.
Meanwhile, Comrade Bisiriyu, a youth leader in Ikorodu division has called on the appropriate authority to wake up to their responsibilities and protect residents in Ikorodu community against the nefarious activities of the cult groups.
“Just within 72 hours, four guys were ‘dropped’ (killed) by the big boys (cultists) within Ikorodu Township. This happened in and around Laketu market down to Munirat Aleje Street (Ikorodu clinic) and Obuale”, he stated during a chat with our reporter.
“These killings are getting out of hand. This barbaric act has to stop… We can’t continue this way…”, he lamented.
“The appropriate authorities should kindly wake up to their responsibilities because people are afraid of going out and coming into their homes in Ikorodu”.
Comrade Francis Mani Shonubi , while also speaking on the renewed cult fight, stated:
“Our youths are not ready for peaceful reconciliation of their grievances with one another. I’m just tired of all this gang war. Let there be peace among our youths. Is that too much to ask”, he asked rhetorically.
Hon. Adeola Jokomba, a two-term Chairman of Ikorodu North LCDA, while lamenting on the extent of damages wrecked on the community by the cult crisis, equally called for quick intervention from appropriate authorities.
It was also gathered that the efforts of the Onyabo Vigilance group to arrest the perpetrators of the latest attacks have not yielded any positive result yet as suspects were reported to have gone into hiding while others have fled the town.
It would be recalled that there had been several attempts at reconciling the rival cult groups in Ikorodu division by the Onaybo Vigilance Group, traditional institutions, palaces across the division and others.
There had also been intervention by the Lagos State Police Command in a bid to ensure that members of the rival cult groups across the division openly renounce their membership and also surrender their arms.
But the latest attacks are clear indication that all these efforts have failed and there is need for a more solid approach to effectively nip the protracted menace of cultism in the bud.
