It was alleged that Cultists belonging to Eiye confraternity on Monday invaded Ogijo community in Ikorodu, Lagos State, killing the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Odongunyan, Ikorodu.
Although the police in Lagos on Monday dismissed such rumour, the suspected cultists reportedly overpowered policemen drafted to the area, forcing shops to close.
Last Friday, the cultists were beaten back by a combined team of mobile policemen and vigilantes.
The community has been gripped by regular attacks by cultists and militants, who killed residents and robbed them of their belongings.
The Spokesperson for the state police command, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police (SP), who denied the claim, said the DPO was neither killed nor kidnapped.
Reports filtered on social media Monday morning that the DPO was kidnapped and murdered at the wee hours of the day by cultists celebrating August 8, (Eight-Eight).
The Nation gathered that the hoodlums caused apprehension among residents of Odogunyan, Ita-Oluwo, Ogijo and environs, forcing them to boycott their places of work.
Our correspondent learnt that some students of the Lagos State Polytechnic located on Odogunyan road also went on rampage, compounding the situation of things in the area.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said town criers went round the area on Sunday night, urging residents to stay indoors to avoid a recurrence of violence that erupted on July 7.
“I locked myself and my family members in the house. It was announced that people should avoid going out and so many residents obeyed. What we later heard was that the DPO of Odogunyan was kidnapped and killed, but I do not know if it’s true,” he said.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Ogun State police command were said to have raided the area following cult clashes and arrested several persons.
Confirming the arrest, the acting spokesman for the command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said the suspects were being screened.
He added that those discovered to have no links with the unrest will be released.
Oyeyemi, however, refused to give the exact number of persons in police net, insisting they were still being profiled.