Four persons were reported killed at various locations in Igbogbo town on Sunday, July 31, 2016 by members of the Eiye confraternity in what seemed like a reprisal attack.
According to the provost marshall of the Onyabo Vigilante Group, Mr. Lanre Labinjo, the incident occurred in the night of that fateful Sunday, stating that the culprits were the members of the Eiye confraternity. He said they entered Igbogbo through Ebute to unleash mayhem on their rivals, who belonged to Aiye confraternity.
Mr. Labinjo also revealed the name of one of those killed as Lukman Apetu, whom he said was a former number one member of Aiye confraternity in Igbogbo. He said Lukman was the only one he could name among the four victims but equally noted that during the attack, a two year old child and an elderly man, believed to be the father of a late member of Aiye, were also shot. Speaking further, he said the killings were carried out by well-known cultists, the same squad that has continued to commit various atrocities in Ikorodu Division. He identified Amuda Yusuff (aka Baba no regret) as the one who led Afeez Oluwo, Idris Aloma and Rainbow to carry out the attack at Igbogbo.
According to him, Amuda Yusuff was arrested previously but later granted bail. In his words, “Amuda Yusuff was among the Aiye group, whom I arrested in connection with the attack on my person but he was taken to court and granted bail. He was the one who master-minded Sunday’s operation.”
Still on the reprisal attack, he said members of the Aiye confraternity, which include ‘Seventy’, Agali, Toheeb Oro, Tope and others, were led by Debby, who shot a man simply identified as Akube at Grammar school, according to an eye witness who saw him holding a gun. The Commander said, “Wherever Debby is seen, something bad would surely happen. We also learnt that he led his gang to kill Nero at Ladega a forthright ago.”
Mr. Labinjo, however, disclosed that his group has details of all criminals in Ikorodu but lack of support from the state government hinders them from carrying out their operations. He appealed to the state government, saying, “We are seeking government support because we can get these cultists arrested with their support; we can’t do it alone. Police officers should cooperate with us in doing this job so that we can bring crimes to an end in Ikorodu and all her divisions.
Two weeks ago, the team leader of one of the cult gangs, Ibrahim Abora, who killed one of our men, Geleti, was apprehended at Ogijo Police Station. We went there to get him but Ogun State police officers told us that the case wasn’t for Lagos State district; so, we left. I already know that he would be handed lesser charge instead of the murder charge he would have faced in Lagos State. Ibrahim Abora has a serious case with the Lagos State government.
This is one of the reasons we need government support so that we can work together and get him arrested,” he lamented.
Mr. Labinjo also called for more support from the general public, especially the rich men and women in Ikorodu. He urged them to emulate the good gesture of the majority leader, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. S. O. Agunbiade, who recently gave the vigilante group four patrol motorcycles as well as uniforms and shoes. He also suggested that there should be a law to checkmate cultism in the State and called for residents to make information available to the security outfit to ensure better security and community policing.