In fact, influential folks and policemen were also arrested. The state, which hitherto was becoming synonymous with fighting and killings, is now witnessing a relative peace.
Commissioners of Police in different formation in Nigeria immediately embraced the ideology and methodology of Arase, giving cultists the fight of their lives. The pace in the fight against cultism in Lagos State was slow in taking off, but right now, it has picked up.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, is leaving no stone unturned as he unleashed his anger on cultism and policemen seemingly sluggish in tackling it in their areas of jurisdictions or appeared to be aiding the cultists.
Two weeks ago, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Bariga Police Station was kicked out of his office by Owoseni over worsening cult activities in the area.
A policeman said: “Cult clashes in Bariga were almost becoming a daily thing, with increasing killings and bodies’ pilings.
Something drastic needed to be done! The CP did it!”
The killing in Bariga Community got to a peak after a 25-year-old Meshach, a member of Aiye confraternity, renounced his membership and was beheaded for taking such a daring action. Meshach’s action was said to have annoyed his colleagues who went after him and murdered him.
Running through streets with the bloody corpse like they were in a Hollywood Horror movie, the cultists carried the corpse to Ososa Street and dumped it there.
The cultists were sighted, playing ball with the decapitated head. Sources in the police command said that the ruthless and gruesome manner in which Meshach was murdered, irked Owoseni, who immediately redeployed the Bariga DPO, Mr. Okesola.
A resident of Bariga, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “The cult members are mostly youngsters between ages 15 and 20. They usually get reinforcement from Somolu, Fadeyi, Ebute-Meta and Ikorodu areas during clashes.
It was even discovered that they used to source for fighters from outside Lagos. They are always armed with sophisticated weapons. Ibrahim Balogun alias Small Jepron and Sumonu Aromire, are the leaders of the Eiye confraternity in this Bariga Community. They are the ones who issued the order that Meshach should be killed.”
The source continued: “We’ve cried out to the state government to intervene in these crises as the killings have continued despite the presence of policemen. What surprised most of us is that, instead of policemen to arrest the culprits, they always end up arresting innocent residents.
Once they arrest these innocent people, they collect huge amount of money from their parents for bail.”
Another resident explained that some weeks ago, cult members came out from hiding and engaged policemen attached to the Rapid Respond Squad (RRS) in a gun duel at Ashogbon Meat Market.
Residents were said to have become petrified and scampered into their homes, locking doors, when they saw one of the cultists, grabbed the rifle of one of the RRS officers and started shooting sporadically.
This action prompted a member of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), who was watching, to jump into the fray and opposed the cult gangster with equal fire power.
The vice chairman of Ashogbon Meat Seller Market Association, Alhaji Yusuf said: “We’re tired of cult gang fight in this area! Whenever they start fighting, it always affects our businesses. Some of us, who sell meat in the market, have been living in the community right from our youth.
We have not witnessed this sort of gangsters before. Many innocent souls have died due to stray bullets from cultists during gang wars.” On August 3, 2015, two rival groups, Aiye and Eiye, clashed, leaving fear in the air. When our correspondent visited streets like Ago Owu, Ososa, Ilaje, Odo Oba and Abeokuta on Tuesday, there was tension on the faces of residents.
There were also uncertainties in the community as some of the roads were deserted and policemen were seen patrolling to prevent further break down of law and order while chasing cultists. Mr. Kunle Adelaja, a resident of Ilaje Community in Bariga, said: “The killing by the gangs is becoming intolerable! The cultism in Bariga shouldn’t be difficult to stem.
The major problem is that some of the policemen attached to Bariga Police Station and Somolu Police Station belonged to different confraternities! How do you expect the war to be won? I was born and brought up in this community 37 years ago. While growing up; we didn’t experience or see the sort of stupidity we’re witnessing today.
The Lagos State Government and the police should work together to flush these cultists out of our community.” According to the residents, a certain policeman, attached to Bariga Police Station, identified as Ade Adenekan, shot and killed one Babatunde Jimoh 21, at Ebute Ilaje Bariga. Mr. Abiodun Balogun, a resident of Ilaje, said: “I and some friends were waiting at the shore of the lagoon, where people used to dredge sand, when the victim was hit by the stray bullet from the policeman’s gun.
The policeman was chasing after some hoodlums from Ososa Street. My colleagues and I were waiting for customers around 10am on that fateful Saturday when we saw some policemen chasing the hoodlums. The hoodlums ran into our street. Jimoh was hit by the stray bullet.
We’re not the ones fighting; hoodlums from Ososa Street engaged each other in a fight and policemen from Bariga Police Division were drafted to the scene to restore peace and order. It was in the process of chasing the hoodlums that one of us was shot.
“When we saw the policemen coming, we all ran away. It was after the dust settled that we discovered that Jimoh had been shot. We rushed him to a private hospital where he was later confirmed dead. The Lagos State Commissioner of Police should come to our aid.”
A septuagenarian, who pleaded anonymity, lamented the growing spate of violence in the area, stressing that decisive action should be taken by the state authorities and security agencies to bring a lasting solution to the incessant unrest in Bariga. The old woman said: “Some of these cultists are armed robbers and thieves! They seized opportunities during their clashes to loot shops and dispossess residents of valuables.
We’re tired of the cult clashes!” Another resident, Omolola Ogbere, 93, said the people were tired of police harassment in the community. She added: “It was the same policemen who stopped me from going to church. One fateful Sunday morning, I was on my way to the church when they stormed the community and started shooting sporadically. As I tried to escape, I fell down and sustained injury. Since then, I have been in bed. The police authorities should call their men to order.
Policemen should stop harassing innocent residents of Ilaje Community simply because they want to arrest hoodlums. Some innocent residents have lost their lives in the process.” Another resident, Mutiu, alleged that some of the policemen belonged to different confraternities. He explained that instead of doing their job professional, the policemen embark on chasing cult members who do not belong to their camp.
Mutiu noted: “Such police officers should be redeployed from their base to somewhere else so as to foster peace and bring lasting solution to the senseless killings in Lagos State.” Another resident in the area who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “We are all living in fear because anytime they start fighting; everyone remains indoors for fear of being hit by flying bullets.
The reason you see residents walking about freely, carrying on with their businesses now is because of the presence of the policemen in our street. If the policemen had not been deployed to our area, we wouldn’t be able to trade.” Synergising with his policemen, Owoseni is not only hitting hard on cultism, but also hitting hard on his men.
The synergy has led to several arrests in different parts of |Lagos. It was also gathered that the removal of DPO Bariga, has made other DPOs to become vigilant. Recently, Policemen attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) arrested 38 suspected cult members for allegedly terrorizing members of Somolu Community.
The team, led by Supol Olabode Aroge, stormed the area after receiving a distress call from the residents. The squad was said to have combed the community before 38 suspects were arrested. The RRS Commander, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr. Olatunji Disu, said that after investigation, it was discovered that some of the suspects were cult members while others were miscreants.
The commander noted that they had been terrorising the residents for a long time. He said: “Some of them specialised in bags and handsets snatching, pick-pocketing and all other acts during day and night in the area. The operation was to complement the promise of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to rid the state of criminals and hoodlums who are disturbing the peace of the state.” Those arrested are 29 males and nine females.
They were immediately taken to the RRS headquarters at Alausa, Ikeja. About 50 suspected Eiye members were arrested in Awolowo Market in Ojuwoye area of Mushin on Saturday. It was gathered that the cult members were celebrating their Annual Reunion Day in the market when a team of policemen from Area C Police Command rounded them up.
An eye witness in the area said that the cult members were in the market, celebrating their get together, which they normally marked every August 8, when the police swooped on them. The party was held in the market premises when they were arrested. The cult members were between ages 15 and 18. They all wore blue shirts and barrette cap; symbolising the colour of their confraternity.http://newtelegraphonline.com/why-police-are-losing-cultism-war/
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