Following
the murder of family of two children and their parents on Sunday at Ibeshe Oke-Ota
Ona, of Ikorodu, Lagos State, policemen, yesterday, stormed and demolished one
of the biggest shrines in Ikorodu.
It
was gathered that a monarch was also arrested yesterday on the suspicious of
being connected to Badoo group.
The
policemen were led by Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations,
Edgal Imohimi.
A
source said: “The owner of the shrine took policemen and journalist round the
shrine, located at Agbowa area of Ikorodu. The shrine is situated on a large
expanse of land, is surrounded by bush and had what looked like five graves.
One of the graves appeared to have been freshly dug and covered. Entry into
some of the rooms housing some of shrines was almost impossible as they had
iron doors.”
Also
yesterday, an 18-year-old, Fred Minima, was on Monday charged before an Ebute
Meta Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly belonging to the Badoo group.
Minima,
who resides at Akala area of Mushin, is facing a three-count charge of
attempted kidnap, belonging to an unlawful society and stealing. The accused,
however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Police
Prosecutor Maria Dauda insisted that the accused committed the offences on July
26 at 11.10 a.m. at No. 25, Akinola St., Mushin. Dauda said the accused, who
had the logo of the cult on his left hand, allegedly entered the premises of a
nursery and primary school in Mushin with the intention to kidnap some pupils.
He
said that the accused also stole some phones before he proceeded to attract the
pupils.
Dauda
said: “He was caught by the security guard, who handed him over to the
police.’’
The
offences contravened Sections 21, 42 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos
State, 2015 (Revised).
The
Section 287 stipulates a three-year jail term for offenders, while kidnapping
offences in Lagos State attract a penalty of life imprisonment or capital
punishment.
The
Magistrate, Mrs O.O.A. Fowewe-Erusiafe, in her ruling, granted the accused bail
in the sum of N50, 000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case
until August 29 for mention.
Yesterday,
residents at Ibeshe, where a couple and their two children were killed by
suspected Badoo members expressed fear.
The
attack has again thrown the community into grief and palpable fear. When New Telegraph visited the house where the
couple lived, the area was deserted and shops closed.
One
of the residents who spoke with New Telegraph on condition of anonymity said:
“It’s only God who can save us now. The Badoo group is acting freely and nobody
seems able to stop them. What happened on Sunday shocked
me. I have been living in this community for 20 years, but I have witnessed
this sort of mindless killings.”
The
house, where the deceased lived, was surrounded with bushes.
The
resident further noted: “There was a time in this Ibeshe that the Badoo group
killed a student writing his secondary school final examination. The student
was killed along with his parents and siblings. Nobody knew the student, his
siblings and parents had been killed until some teachers went to his home to
find out why he had not been coming to school for his examinations. They
discovered their dead bodies.”
A
trader in the community said: “We are shocked these sorts of killings are going
on and major arrest had been made.”
Attempts
made to confirm the arrest of the monarch was futile as the Lagos State Police
Public Relations Office (PPRO) Olarinde Famous-Cole did not pick his calls.
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