Patience Ogbo
October 17, 2018, is a day residents of Shomolu and Bariga communities
will never forget in a hurry.
It was a day one of the most powerful men in their
communities was killed. Ordinarily, most of the residents should be mourning,
but instead, they heaved a sigh of relief, while many secretly popped champagne
in their apartments.
The man, who died was none other than Ibrahim
Balogun a.k.a Small Jpron. The deceased, who until his death was an albatross to
the Lagos State Police Command, was described by detectives, who had been
monitoring his activities, as one of Shomolu’s most dreaded cultist, belonging
to the Eiye Confraternity.
When Jpron was murdered, the news travelled like
wildfire into his community, causing shock and then jubilation. How was he
killed? everyone asked, hardly believing the news. The police had answers.
The Police said: “Jpron was murdered in cold blood by
a rival gang member at a political gathering organised by Honourable Ademorin
Kuye, a Lagos State House of Representative Aspirant. He was killed at a place
called Home Touch, situated at No. 228, Ikorodu Road by Obanikoro Way. He was
killed at night.”
Following the murder of Jpron, his gang members
mobilised and stormed the venue of the political gathering. The enraged members
shot a young man identified as Solomon, and then used stones to shatter his
skull, killing him.
An eye witness said: “Jpron’s gang members killed
Solomon in such a gruesome manner because they believed he was the person that
lured Jpron to the political venue to be murdered.”
A community member, who was present when the two
rival cult groups clashed, disclosed: “I can’t get the incident out of my head,
no matter how hard I tried. It was like a horror movie; we heard Jpron, who was
not at the gathering was sent for by the house of representative aspirant and then
later, a fight broke out between the deceased, who happened to be the Eiye Cult
leader and another cult group. It was during the fight that Jpron was shot; he
later died in the hospital.”
After his death, the Lagos State Commissioner of
Police, Edgal Imohimi said: “Jpron had been involved in several cult clashes.
He and Solomon were among cultists on Police Wanted List for leading several
cult fights in Shomolu, Bariga, Fadeyi and Ojuelegba areas of the state.”
The CP further stated: “They were trailed to the
gathering by a rival cult group. The group invaded the arena and began to
attack people. The fight was however brought to an end by policemen, who
arrived at the scene and made some arrests. Unfortunately for Jpron and Solomon,
they died as a result of injuries sustained during the fight.”
Imohimi said that 21 suspects were later arrested in
connection with the case.
Imohimi added: “Politicians should inform the police
before gathering in public places. And until Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) gives the go ahead, political campaign at this time is
illegal.”
When our correspondent visited Shomolu community,
residents expressed fear that the murder of Jpron and Solomon might lead to
cult wars, which might consume everyone.
A shop owner, Mrs Ige said: “When
I heard that Jpron was dead, I was scared. I feared that his gang members would
carry out a reprisal.”
A resident of Bajulaiye Street, who didn’t want his name
mentioned, said: “I and my family feared the worst when we heard about the death
of Solomon and Jpron. We didn’t want cult wars to erupt and destroy our fragile
peace.”
Following Jpron’s murder, investigations showed that
the police had been battling to put him and his gang in check, all to no avail.
Each time he was arrested, charged to court and remanded, he somehow finds his way out of prison. Indeed, he was
arrested in 2017 by SARS operatives over cult related activities, but was soon
released.
Further investigations showed that policemen
attached to Alade Police Station in Shomolu, had initially arrested him in 2012
and 2015, but he allegedly escaped going to prison through the connivance of
politicians.
Last year, Jpron was arrested, paraded and charged to court over allegations of being
a member of Eiye Confraternity and leader of cult groups known as the ‘Feeling
Stealing’ and ‘EFCC boys.’
Residents revealed that both groups had been terrorising
Shomolu, Pedro, Gbagada and Bariga axis. The first time he was arrested by the
Lagos State Police Command was during the administration of Fatai Owoseni, who
was then the state’s commissioner of police.
Speaking after the arrest of Jpron, Owoseni said: “The
suspect was declared wanted not just for cultism, but for killing many people
and rendering others homeless. The suspect has also been involved in serial
‘hired killings’ and contracted by several gangs to settle private and business
scores. The suspect and his gang were responsible for setting ablaze a popular
house in Shomolu called ‘Mashafani House,’ and the killing of many people in
the area, in the last six months. Detectives have been working assiduously
since the gang razed down Mashanfani house, where some ladies were also raped.
This led to the arrest of Jpron who happened to be the leader of the gang. Jpron
is a star suspect because we have been looking for him. He has been giving
residents of Shomolu sleepless nights. He is an ex-convict and has been in and
out of various prisons for rape cases, robbery, cultism and thuggery. He has
jumped bail several times.
"He was arrested again on August 24, 2016. He
confessed to have been involved in multiple cases of murder. We hope that
through him, other members of his gang would be arrested. His gang is
responsible for turning Shomolu and Pedro communities into a theatre of war.”
Also speaking after his arrest, Jpron said: “I
belong to the Eiye Confraternity, and we are always fighting with Aiye over control
of our communities. We also fight when they snatch our members’ girlfriends. It
was in the course of fighting that I killed two persons. Other members of my
gang did the other killings. Police are blaming me for all the killings because
I’m the gang’s leader. I know I would be held responsible for anything my
members did; but I was not responsible for all the killings. I, however, don't
regret anything because I know that every day is for the thief, but one day is
for the owner."
Owoseni’s men arrested him after he and two of his
gang members, Afilo and Kunle Aturase,
attacked residents of Bawahala Street, Shomolu. The police mobilised and raced
to the scene of the incident.
Both Afilo and Kunle on sighting the policemen, took
to their heels, firing shots at the advancing policemen. Mother Luck was
however not on the side of Jpron on that day. He was subdued and arrested.
There was wild jubilation when it was ascertained
that the police finally had arrested Jpron after years of declaring him wanted.
The Police had first declared him wanted in 2016 after his gang attacked the Councillor,
Mr. Sunday Ojajuni, representing Ilaje Constituency. Most times, his men would
be slain killed, but Jpron had the knack of escaping police bullets, earning
him the cat with nine lives.
In March 2011, residents alleged that Jpron, with
his gang members wearing crested T-Shirts, with the inscription, "Team
Lagos," shot and killed Anthony, a commercial motorcycle rider. This was
when the gang attacked NURTW members in their park at Bajulaiye area of Shomolu.
Anthony's heavily pregnant wife petitioned police
hierarchy, demanding for justice, all to no avail. Following the alleged
criminality of the gang, residents also petitioned the police high command and
the Lagos State government over the incessant attacks on residents.
One Toba was alleged to have joined Jpron in
fuelling the gang wars in the Fadeyi, Mushin and Onipanu. Toba and Jpron
allegedly killed one Aro in 2006. Aro was beheaded and till date his body was never
found. Aro’s murder led to attack and counter attacks by rival gangs in Fadeyi
and Mushin.
The gang also killed one Yesiru and attacked a man called Edward with machetes. Edward
was in his house at Ponrele Street when the gang attacked him.
Before the demise of Jpron, residents had
anonymously written several petitions to the police and state government. But
nothing was achieved.
On June 8th,
2012, the gang members armed, stormed Craig
Street. They attacked homes and looted property.
One of the victims, Olatunde Oladipo, a printer in
Shomolu, said: “ I petitioned the commissioner of police following the
destruction of my property and threat to my life by the gang. They targeted my
home and chanted my name. They went
straight to my apartment and destroyed my property, humiliated my wife and
children and threatened to kill them. I was away at that time, but immediately
I heard about their attack on my home, I lodged a report at the Alade Police Station.
I later had to relocate my family to a safe place.”
On June 9th, 2012, the gang shot
a tenant, Omo Junior along Craig Street ,collected his phone and laptop. The case was also reported at
Alade Police Station.
In another operation, the gang attacked a housewife,
Bunmi Afolabi, living at Number 8 Salami
Street on June 13th, 2012,
raided her house and broke her
head. Afolabi promptly reported the attack to the Alade Police Station, but the
officers were attacked on their way to
her house.
She said: “On the day they stormed my house, they
were four in number. They started ransacking everything; they destroyed my
property and threatened to kill my children;
after they left, I went to the
Alade Police Station to report the incident. The Divisional Police Officer
(DPO) gave me six policemen to follow me to my house. On our way to my house,
along Ajose Street, some of the boys, who attacked me, saw me with the policemen
and confronted us.”
She said that the gang initially hurled stones at
the policemen and then later moved forward to collect their handcuffs from
them. They overpowered the policemen.
Afolabi recalled: “I was left on my own. That was
how the boys pounced on me. They didn’t mind that I had a baby strapped to my
back, they broke my head in the process and left bruises on my body.”
It took the combine efforts of policemen from Pedro,
Onipanu, stations, Area H Police Command and State Criminal Investigations
Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, to disperse the gang, which was already causing
mayhem in the street.
The cult groups were also fingered in the robbery
attack that took place at Number 22, Moshalashi Street Shomolu, on June 16th,
2012, where they allegedly robbed printers of laptops, phones and money.
A resident, Oladele Michael said: “These boys go
about in daytime chasing yahoo boys and calling themselves EFCC boys. They cause
havoc in the community. In the night, they rob people of laptops and later sell
them to the yahoo boys.”
Michael explained that not too long ago, the gang
members were arrested by detectives from SCID. He said that for reasons
unknown, the suspects were released.
“One of the gang members, Kabiru, also known as Omo Ese, was released. Yesiru,
Rasaki, Oseni and others were just
bailed from Potoki Prison in Badagry. They returned and went back to unleashing
hell,” said Michael.
A resident said: “ Peace would have returned to our
communities for long, but for politicians. They are the ones that used to
facilitate the bail of these cult boys. They are the ones causing killings of
innocent people in our communities. Politicians are our problem.”
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