The cultists on murder spree, who would not allow us to sleep for days
A surprise raid and operation, code named “Crush”, by the combined forces of the State Police, Area N Command, Ijede, various DPOs in Ikorodu with Onyabo Vigilance group and mobile police yielded the arrest of more than two hundred (200) cultists/robbers/criminals who were paraded on Monday, June 10, 2019, at Igbogbo Police Ground.
Prior to this raid, traders in Ikorodu central business district of Ojubode, Ladega, Allison etc. were forced by cult activities to be shutting down their businesses as early as 4p.m for fear of attacks and killings.
By Thursday, June 6, as Oba Kabir Shotobi, Ayangbure of Ikorodu, was settling the feud among Onyabo members over leadership, report came that three people were killed that day in different parts of Ikorodu.
The following day, Friday, June 7, three were killed around Ota-Ona area. By that weekend, the total deaths in the constituency was put at twenty (20).
But the push by Kabiyesi to Onyabo yielded instant result as this vigilante group, which over the years had been confronting cultists, quickly teamed up with the Rapid Response Squad, Special Anti-Robbery Squads, Anti Cultism unit, Mobile Police Command, Area N Command in Ijede, Divisional Police commands on Igbogbo and Shagamu road in Ikorodu and other areas to sweep on these criminal gangs who had been exploiting the vacuum created by the rift over the successor of the late Onyabo leader, Kamorudeen Bombata.
Ikorodu residents and journalists assembled at Igbogbo Police Ground on that Monday as Lagos State Police Commissioner, CP. Zubairu Muazu, along with his commissioner in charge of operation and other units involved in the Operation “Crush” came to address them.
It was a show of the beauty of combined effort as the CP gave logistic support to his Commander in charge of cult operation, Mr. Udom Uduak, and the Anti Cultism Squad, the Anti-terrorism group, mobile police command in Ikorodu, Area Commander and the SARS and RRS and the DPOs to comb the area. More of the cultists are still being hunted in their hide outs.
Journalists had a field day on that Monday as they took photographs of the suspected criminals and conducted interviews with the Police Commanders. Among the arrested criminals is said to be one of their leaders in Ikorodu named Yussuf Omidele. He is said to have been to prison several times but came back each time to unleash more terror on the society.
After parading the suspects to the public, the state commissioner of Police gave a speech (see box) and invited questions from the Press.
One of the questions asked was what the police intends to do with these more than two hundred (200) arrested criminals since they are most likely to come back again to walk, talk in the society.
The CP said the police can only do what they are empowered constitutionally to do which are to arrest, to investigate and to prosecute, stating that it is left to the court to decide the fate of the arrested persons.
This prompted journalists to further ask if it is not possible for police to synergize with the judiciary to obtain longer sentences for these criminals instead of releasing them on bail or giving them short jail terms.
Of course, the CP took note of that question and that suggestion since it is outside their jurisdiction. It is for the courts to do the needful.
He, however, promised Ikorodu people, especially those living in Odogunyan and other cult infested areas of the division, that the police will do their best to ensure that they sleep with their two eyes closed while traders and residents will walk freely.
After press conference, three Black Maria Vans whisked off the cultists while the State CP and other commanders headed to Oba Shotobi’s palace where they held a close-door meeting with the Ikorodu monarch.
After the chat, the Oba declined press interview, rather he assured the press that he will do so on June 25, 2019, when he intends to call a stakeholders’ meeting in his domain.
What police Commisioneer told the press in Ikorodu
Good morning Gentlemen of the Press and welcome to this epoch making event. The Command has painstakingly put in place measures to reclaim the destiny of our youths who have chosen the path of crime by engaging in various cult activities. Cultism is evil and it is a crime against the collective will of the people. When cultism thrives, surely other heinous crimes like Murder, Rape, Robbery, Kidnapping etc. will thrive too. Defeating cultism will therefore mean defeating all heinous crimes in the State, as virtually every major crime recorded in the State have a link to cultism.
From February, 2019 that I assumed duty as Commissioner of Police Lagos State, the Command has arrested 202 notorious- cult members and they have been charged to Court and at different stages of prosecution. We have recovered 54 assorted weapons. Other successes recorded by the Command includes the arrest of 105 suspects for armed robbery and 7 suspects for kidnapping. The Command has also successfully foiled 93 armed robbery attempts through prompt response to distress calls from members of the public at different locations in the state.
Tackling cultism requires a holistic approach. We intent to adopt community policing approach. We will soon embark on sensitization programs in collaboration with Police Community Relations Committee and other stakeholders in Schools, Neighborhoods and Media. We will equally establish Police Students Relations Committee, comprising all the Students Union Presidents and other Students leaders. We will organize town hall meetings in areas mostly affected by cult activities. The meetings will discuss extensively, the root causes of cultism and gangsterism in the affected areas and the possible solutions.
The various cult groups and gangs identified within the state include: Aiye and Eiye confraternities, One million boys at Ajengule, Fadeyi boys at Fadeyi area, Akala boys at Mushin area, Nokia group at Surulere area, Shitta boys at Bariga, Oworonshoki, Shomolu and Palm grove areas, Awawa boys at Dopemu, Ageg, Ogba and Iyana Ipaja.
We have observed the activities of those cult groups and gangs for the last one month and credible intelligence was gathered. We have reviewed our strategies and have initiated far reaching approach to totally eradicate this menace. We have rejig our Anti Cultism Unit to effectively combat those miscreants who have chosen the wrong path of life. We are taking the fight to their door steps, we are all out for them. We will fish them out, isolate them and bring them to justice. We are battle ready to uproot every cultists den and hideouts until they are totally defeated.
This Special operation we are flagging off today, is code named ‘Operation Crush’ aimed at ending Cultism and Gangsterism in Lagos State and it will be directly under my command. Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers will personally lead the various operations in their areas of jurisdiction.
Let me therefore, use this medium to sound a warning to members of those gangs and cult groups either renounce membership of such cults and gangs or be prepared to face the full weight of the law. This is a promise. And to parents and guardians of those youths, my message is simple, monitor the activities and movements of your children and wards and make sure that their mission on the public space are legitimate otherwise, they should stay clear.
Let me call on everyone, both old and young, rich and poor to join us in this noble fight. We must cleanse our communities of those few criminal elements who have threatened our social and economic well-being. Together we can subdue them.
Thank you and God bless you all. Below are some of our modest achievements in the past few weeks:
- Arrest of a wanted cult leader and twenty others
On 6th June, 2019 at about 10.00pm, Police received a distress call that some cult members from two rival groups engaged themselves in a supremacy battle along Isikalu palace and Solomade area, 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 ‘m’ popularly known as General was arrested and twenty other cultists. General was charged to Court on several occasions and sentenced to prison. He completed his last sentence in 2014 and have become an Elder-in- Council, in Eiye Confraternity. He led his gang in a reprisal attack on the members of Aiye confraternity, whom they alleged to have killed the wife of one of their leaders some weeks ago. The suspects arrested belong to both Aiye and Eiye confraternity and have all confessed to belong to secret societies. Two cultists died from the cult clash and six others were injured:’ Four locally made pistols, eight machetes and three daggers were recovered. Suspects will be charged to Court.
- Arrest of sixteen cult members and recovery of arms
On 6th June, 2019 at about 11.00pm Ikorodu Police Station received a distress call that members of two rival cult groups, Aiye and Eiye confraternity clashed at Ikorodu. During the clash, one Sodiq Adewale ‘m’ 28’years old was killed while one Tayo Ogini 1m’ 28years old was injured. A team of Policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer Ikorodu, SP Babalola Sarafa was promptly drafted to the scene. Sixteen Suspects were arrested. One short Gun, Cutlasses, stolen Phones and various charms were recovered from them. Suspects will be charged to Court.
- Arrest of Nine Cult Members and Recovery of Arms
On 8th June, 2019 at about 0030hours, Onireke Police Station received an information that one Jubril Audu ‘m’ 20 years old of No. Ganiyu Jimoh Street, opposite Ojo Military Barracks, was shot by some cultists. Nine suspects were arrested and one locally made pistol was recovered. Suspects will be charged to Court.
- Arrest of Four Cult Members and Recovery of Arms
On 9th June, 2019 at about 0200hours, Ipaja Police Station received an information about the presence of a cult group operating in at Ipaja. Four suspects were arrested and four machetes were recovered from them. They confessed to be members of Koko cult group operating within Ipaja and Ayobo. Suspects will be charged to Court.
How cultist murdered this woman and her husband
There seems to be no end in sight soon for the cult gang war that has pervaded Ikorodu in the few months as another attack claimed about four lives while several others people sustained varying degrees of gun shots wounds on Thursday, June 6, 2019.
The deadly attack, which spilled over to the early hours of Friday, June 8, undisclosed number of cultists invaded Itunpate area wielding dangerous weapons.
It was gathered that the cultists were shouting and shooting sporadically in the air to awake helpless residents before heading to an ancient building owned by the popular Jayesinmi compound around 3a.m where they forcefully gained entry into one of the rooms and a male occupant simply identified Ayo, who was alleged to be a member of a rival cult group loyal to a cult kingpin, Yussuf Omidele, popular known as General.
While the victim was said to have been brutally butchered beyond recognition, his wife who reportedly recognized some faces among the assailants, were shot dead.
The killing of Ayo and his wife in the early hours of Friday was said to be a reprisal attack as a member of the Aye confraternity was said to have been killed at Anibaba, a known den of Eiye cult group, late Thursday night while his partner was reported to have been to escape with gun wounds.
A chieftain of the Onyabo Vigilance group confirmed the killing of the couple to Oriwu Sun in a brief telephone interview while also stating that residents of the victims were in the awe of their brutal murder by their assailants.
After killing the couple, the rampaging cultist allegedly stormed other areas of Ikorodu in search of rival cult members while they ceaselessly shot sporadically in the air and also destroyed properties and killed another victim in the process.
Other areas affected by the attack are Aga/Ijomu, Ita-Elewa, Owolowo, Obun-Ale, Ejina, Ojogbe and Ireshe road.
Oriwu Sun also gathered that there was palpable fears in these affected areas as residents could no longer sleep with their eyes closed despite heavy presence of men of the local vigilance group and law enforcement agents who were stationed across strategic areas to rein in the cultists and restore normalcy.
It was also learnt that no fewer than twenty one (21) suspected cult members were arrested across Ikorodu in connection with the latest attack by the combined patrol team of police and Onyabo vigilance group.
Notable among the suspects is Yussuf Omidele, an alleged cult ringleader who had been on the police wanted list for a while.
His arrest alongside other cult suspects was confirmed by the police spoke person in Lagos State, DSP Bala Elkana.
Elkana, while confirming the incident and number of causalities, said, “The leader of one of the one of the gangs, who has been on the wanted list of the command, Yussuf Omidele (a.k.a General) was arrested along with twenty (20) others. General was charged to court on several occasions and sentenced in 2014 and has become an ‘elder-in-council’ in Eiye confraternity.
“The suspects arrested belong to both Aiye and Eiye confraternities and have all confessed to be member of secret societies. Two cult members died from the clash and six others were injured.”
He added that four (4) locally made pistols, eight machetes and there daggers were recovered from the suspects.