Man’s stomach ripped a week after London trip

Homicide detectives of the Ogun State Police Command have launched investigation into the murder of a suspected cult members, whose stomach was cut open and his intestines ripped out at the Bariga area of Lagos State.

The murder of the alleged cult member, Tajudeen Raji, would have gone unnoticed, but for the outcry of residents of Ogijo Community, in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Raji had just returned from London, the United Kingdom to Nigeria, a week ago, and his family members were still in the overseas before his gruesome murder.

The residents were said to have kicked against the suspected cultist being buried in their community.

Raji, alleged to be of  Eiye Confraternity, was killed by rival cult group who invited him to a party at Fola Agoro, Bariga area.

The group was alleged to have ripped open his stomach and dragged out his intestine. Raji’s corpse was dumped at Yaba College of Technology Road, WAEC Junction.  

According to some of the residents, Raji was a leading member of a group that used to terrorise the town between 2010 and 2013.

Raji, popularly called Orji Oba Pharaoh, owned a house at Afuwepe Street, off Hospital Road in Ogijo. He allegedly uses the building as hideout after terrorising the residents.

One of the residents, John said: “The deceased was some time declared wanted by the Ogijo Police Station after he terrorised residents, but escaped justice. We were at home when we heard about his death in Lagos, and plans by his family to bury him at his resident in the town. Immediately we heard that, we sent some delegate to the Oba who later ordered the family from bringing his corpse into the town for burial.”

 It was further gathered that policemen from Ogijo station and vigilante teams were invited to prevent Raji’s corpse from being brought into the community.

It was gathered that the late Raji’s family eventually took him to his father’s house in Ijede, Ikorodu, where he was later buried.

When our correspondent visited the area, policemen were seen on standby at strategic junctions in the community to prevent violence as residents celebrated the deceased’s death.

 Monday Etuk, a motorcycle rider said: “We were relieved after hearing about his death. Rejecting his corpse was the best thing to have happened to our community! When the deceased was alive, some of his gang members would rape women and seized resident land. Even policemen couldn’t dare him!”

The Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), DSP, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed that the deceased was a cultist, adding that he had been on police wanted list.

Adejobi said: “its true residents jubilated over the death of the cultist. He, who kills by the sword, shall die by the sword!”