This was even as police disclosed
that the number of people raided under the suspicion that they are Badoo
members have shot up to 138.
The latest victim, who escaped death
by the whiskers, was arrested by some vigilante group members at Benson Street.
He was caught around 2am, yesterday,
in the compound of an old woman, living alone with her grandchild.
Eye witnesses claimed that the woman
screamed for help after she noticed strange movements in her compound. The
woman’s screams alerted the vigilante group.
It was also alleged that the
vigilante group frisked the suspect’s bag; they discovered black oil, four Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Cards, handkerchief, Army Tee-shirt
and charms.
Eye witnesses were
alleged to have been shocked when the suspect’s mother rushed to the scene and
identified him as her son.
She further confounded
everyone when she allegedly described him as a “bad boy.”
A resident, who simply identified
himself as Alaba said: “The mother of the suspect showed the crowd where her
son attacked and inflicted machete cuts on hers. Angry youths in the community
were still beating him, when his mother came to the scene. She showed the crowd
part of her body where her son inflicted machete cuts on her. We’re tired of
Badoo group in Ikorodu. We are going to do everything possible with the
security agencies to get rid of them. We’re not going to relent in our
struggle. “
The residents were said
to have prevented policemen from taking the suspect away, but later handed him
over to soldiers.
On Sunday, at least four
suspected members of the group were set ablaze angry residents. Three were
killed at Odogunyan community, while the fourth was killed at Idera area.
The Lagos State Police Command
Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) ASP Olarinde Famous Cole, when asked about the
latest incident, urged people to desist from taking laws into their hands.
He said: “We have warned
the residents not to take laws into their hands. They should allow the police
and other security agencies to do their work.”
Yesterday, police said that it has started screening
over 138 suspected Badoo members. The suspects were arrested between Saturday
and Sunday.
Famous-Cole, said that the command had embarked on
screening of the suspects to identify those directly involved in the criminal
activities in Ikorodu.
Members of Badoo group were fingered in the recent
violent killings in Ikorodu axis, a development which prompted angry mob to
embark on lynching of some suspected members of the group.
Famous-Cole said: “We carried out the raid based on
information and 138 suspects were arrested. Screening is ongoing and those with
no tangible explanation will be charged to court.”
Famous-Cole said that the issue of confessions of
the suspects as alleged in the some social media does not arise as the
screening of the suspects has yet to be concluded.
The Chairman, Lagos State Neighborhood Safety
Agency, retired DIG Israel Ajao, said that the agency would adopt the
traditional methodology to unravel the mystery behind the cult killings.
Ajao said the killings had a ritual undertone,
adding that there was need for security operatives to go beyond the
conventional approach in tackling the ritual killings.
Famous-Cole had said: “Government is on top of the
situation and we like to use this medium to caution the people to desist from
jungle justice.’’
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