Kunle Adelabu
Disturbed by the negative image and other consequences that cult activities have brought on Ikorodu, residents recently engaged in finding lasting ways out of the menace which has claimed many lives and disturbed socio – economic lives of various parts of lkorodu division.
The menace, which has been a common feature of virtually every part of the six Local Government and Local Council Development Areas of Ikorodu Division for over a decade, has defied many interventions as rivalry cult groups seem determined to continue the deadly hostilities against one another.
The two major cult groups, Eiye and Aye Confraternities, have engaged each other in endless supremacy battle that had led to the brutal death of hundreds of members on both sides, while many others were maimed and imprisoned.
Also, some of the cultists who could not contend with the onslaught have had to take to their heels and leave town.
However, in the last ten years, there had been several attempts and efforts to reconcile the feuding cult groups. Notable among these interventions include those from the palaces, State Government, Commissioner of Police, concerned individuals and local vigilance groups, especially the Onyabo Vigilance Group.
These interventions involved oath takings, submission of arms and other dangerous weapons, monetary compensation and other offers. But despite all these efforts, nothing seems to have come out of them as killings by the cultists are still going on unabated.
This year alone, Police authority in Ikorodu and Onyabo Vigilance Group had arrested many leaders of the Eye and Aye cult groups and remanded them in prison and various police formations across the state. Many of them have also been brutally murdered, yet, others are not deterred.
The resurgence of their supremacy battle in the last three weeks alone has claimed more than ten lives, one of which is Olamilekan, popularly known and called ‘Ajax’. He was allegedly one of the strong men of the Aye cult group in Ikorodu.
In a discussion on the Ikorodu Ambassadors Group’s Facebook platform recently on the menace, many residents that contributed proffered diverse solutions.
Some of the contributors to the discourse called for another round of reconciliation move, a suggestion which aligned with the position of the Ikorodu Local Government Chairman, Hon. Wasiu Adeshina who told THE IMPACT recently that the council and other stakeholders are planning to engage the cult groups with the aim of reconciling them.
“In actual fact, some of them have been calling me for intervention before the #EndSARS protest and I have been planning how to engage them”, Hon. Adeshina said recently.
“They want us to intervene and help them settle the matter but I don’t want to do it alone. I want to involve all the elected representatives in Ikorodu, traditional institutions, security agencies and other stakeholders”, he added.
“We need to find lasting solutions to this menace once and for all”.
Other residents’ views ranges from arrest and prosecution of suspects, strengthening Onyabo Vigilance Group’s capacity to deal with the situation, skill training/empowerment for suspects, rehabilitation, continuous sensitization/education on the danger of cultism, exposing culprits, and the need for the community to take responsibility of checkmating the cultists’ excesses.
Komolafe Omolaja DeeOne, in his contribution, stated that:
“Onyabo should be empowered, just as in the days of late Oba Oyefusi (to deal with the situation). Anyone caught should face judgment immediately”.
Awomodu Lookman, also contributing, said that:
“Let us find a way to further empower the Onyabo Vigilance Group while the KabiYesi should also order all the Olombas (traditionalists) to go out like before….”.
“Other local security outfits like Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) should be summoned in this regard….”, he added.
Also contributing, Solomon Oluwadamilare stated that:
“Well, since the Lagos State government has failed to provide security for the protesters (#EndSARS) and stop hoodlums from fighting just like the Oyo State government has done, now, it’s left to the Ayangbure of Ikorodu to provide security for us.
Sulaimon Babatunde Rasheed, in his own submission on the matter, wrote:
“I have witnessed the reconciliation event for the two cult groups where members were asked to surrender their arms and ammunition, but this has not worked. The only solution is to get them arrested, and afterwards put them in a rehabilitation centre. That is how to prevent the young ones from being initiated into the cult groups “, he said.
Another resident, Ojeniyi Adeyemi, in his own contribution, also supported the rehabilitation and empowerment of those involved in cultism.
“Let them be put in a rehabilitation center and be empowered.
“There should also be a constant campaign against cultism and its disadvantages in order to discourage the young ones who are considering joining the cult groups”, he added.
In his own reaction, Rashidi Kehinde Onabajo blamed some community leaders for the menace which has caused the society so much pains and anguish. He opined that traditional heads should be made to be responsible for whatever happens in their respective community as a way out of the problem.
“The so – called cultists are promoted, sponsored and recognised by some of our Community leaders and Chiefs. The solution is that each Baales in various communities should be mandated to monitor activities in their respective environment and if anything untoward happens, they should be questioned”.
Oshin Ademola Oluwatobi, in his own contribution, stated that:
“I can still recall what happened in my area in Ojurowo in Ikorodu some months back when I was notified that there was a fight between two groups (Obun – Ale boiz vs Eti – Kota). I had to inform the Onyabo by calling my brother, Rado Olalekan Monsuru, but to my surprise, members of the groups had their way with the head of the Onyabo team, Mr Lanre who led members of the group to the scene.
“My thought is that until we take responsibility and stop hiding these people (cultists) disturbing the peace of Ikorodu and instantly informing security agencies about them ….”
“It will be better if parents too can stop indulging and protecting their sons who are cultists. But my question is: are the parents ready for that?”, Oshin asked.
“If not, things will continue the way it is. So, I will advise parents to speak up to security personnel to help them out of the situation. Meanwhile, this does not mean that we want them to kill their children, but to help them out of the situation that they have found themselves and chart a way forward”, he added.
Also contributing, Abdul Simisolaoluwa said that:
“I think we need to sensitize the youths and the leaders of each community. We also need to empower more youths”.
Oyeniran Olatunji Olalekan, another resident, proffering his own solution, said that:
“I think if Kabiyesi can empower the security outfits like Onyabo and others, it will really help because the situation is really getting out of hands. Ikorodu is now the talk of the town. May God help us”.
Becky Andrews, in her own suggestion, called on the state government to declare a state of emergency on the menace in Ikorodu and set up a special taskforce to deal with the situation.
“Cultism nowadays has taken a different dimension. It has extended from the campuses to the streets where carpenters, mechanics, agberos, meat sellers, traders, office workers, and even OPC members have all been involved.
“Ikorodu has become the epicentre of cultism in Lagos State. The solution is that the Lagos State government should declare a state of emergency in Ikorodu regarding cultism. They should put measures in place to checkmate the activities of the cult groups”, she said.
“If possible, a special paramilitary unit or vigilante squad should be created strictly only in Ikorodu to fight cultism. With that, the menace can at least be suppressed. The cultists have become a menace to the society. Funny enough, some of our so-called elderly ones and community leaders are also involved in cultism”, Becky added.
Apanisile Olatunji, in his own contribution, corroborated the call for another peace talk that would involve leaders of these cult groups and that the cultists should be rehabilitated afterwards.
“The ones you see around fomenting troubles have renowned leaders that are well placed in the society, until these leaders are identified and asked to persuade their boys to retreat, there may not be any solution in sight soon. And possibly, request for peace talk should come from the top.
“After this we can empower them, but our politicians, who in most cases are their leaders as stated above, must stop using them to settle scores with political rivals while all families should disengage them ( the cultists) from land tussles”, she said.
Ogunbiyi Oyeneye Adedoyin Eniola, a community developer and humanitarian, also aligned himself with the request for another round of peace talk with the cult members.
He also stated that close attention should be given to certain areas that are being used as abodes by the cultists after finding out reasons the cultists engage in violent acts.
“I think firstly, they should call them together and sue for peace through their leaders and ask them what they gain from killing themselves.
“Secondly, let us identify what the problems are. Is it unemployment or laziness or other reasons? These issues can be addressed according to their demands.
“Thirdly, most of those remote areas are now serving as abodes for those cultists because they know they cannot be easily found there whenever they run there after perpetrating their evil action the town.
“I, therefore, opine that communities that have Baales should be called to a meeting by the government to identify what the real problems are their respective communities. It could be in the form of a questionnaire. So, from there action plan can be drawn, either based on security or safety measures. Also, quarterly meeting with the leaders of the cult groups could be organized to assess the progress of the plans and also maintain peace”, he suggested.
“I am sure that if these are done by the government in collaboration with the community leaders and involvement of various cultist leaders, there would be peace.
Otunba Olanrewaju Abraham, in his own reaction, said that:
“Let them create a very big sports complex and recreation center where youths can exhibit their talents in football, table tennis, basketball, tennis, boxing, swimming etc. With this, maybe they will have a reason to stay alive rather than killing themselves”.
Shadrak Ijitola in his own reaction, alleged that the young men involving in cultism are those used for land grabbing and political thuggery and that they are armed with guns by their sponsors and later become menace to the society when they are no longer useful for those purposes.
“The real problem is that their fathers have been using them for land grabbing work and they buy guns and other weapons for them to carry out the job. They are also being used for political thuggery. Now that land has finished and election has gone, they started fomenting trouble because they no longer get free money and food again. An idle hand is the devil’s workshop.
Bisoye Ibrahim-Egunjobi simply stated that Community Policing is the answer to the menace.
“Community policing is the best. Honestly, NPF (Nigeria Police Force) can’t curb it. I remember the way armed robbers were flushed out of Sagamu by the Vigilante group. Let them empower Onyabo and other local security outfits to enable them commence operations towards flushing out cultism”.
Adefunke Hammed, in his own contribution, also stated that:
“Please, give these boys jobs in the council or other places to get them busy. Talk to them together as a group and advise them so that they can understand that love is important. Those people that started cultism are living well today and are not dead. Spiritual awakening is needed to help them understand themselves too.
“Can it really be stopped? Hell no! You want to know why? It’s because those that can stop them such as the police, SARS , Obas and our political leaders are also members of cult groups. I had once been to the police station at Shagamu road to complain about my stolen phone and I realized that the guy that took my phone is a frat (a member of a cult group) and a very close friend to a police officer”, he stated.
Another resident, Chioma Cosmos, also supported the idea that Community Policing will effectively take care of the situation.
“I think community policing will solve the problems.Let the vigilante groups come out because delay is dangerous. The earlier that community policing is allowed, the better, because it’s getting too much, and it’s giving us a bad name”.
Soetan Omowale Adeniyi, in his own reaction, supported State Policing as a way out of the gangster war in Ikorodu.
“I suggest this is the time state police should be adopted in our neighborhood because it will go far and wide to curb these inhuman acts by these boys and assist in bringing them to book while their dastardly activities will also subside.
Another female resident, Shefinat Ogidi Shittu, called for instant judgment for any apprehended cultist.
“My own opinion is that any cultist that is caught should be killed immediately”, she said.
