When rival cult members
targeted Kazeem Mudi, 21, killing his best friend in the process and razing his
family house to the grounds, he knew he was way above his head.
He said that when he
joined the Arobaga Confraternity, he didn’t know the group had an ongoing war
with Black Axe Confraternity. He soon realized he was in trouble when members
of rival group kept appearing everywhere, trying to kill him.
Mudi, who was alleged of
being an armed robber, denied the allegation, insisting that he was just an
cultist.
He was the first, among
other members of Arobaga Confraternity, who was arrested for robbery. He was
arrested at Ayingba Market, after shooting sporadically into the air.
He claimed to have
stormed the market, to kill those that killed his best friend and burnt down
his family home. But police said that he entered the market, armed with gun,
trying to rob traders.
Unfortunately for him, immediately
he opened fire in t
Recounting his story, Mudi said: " I joined
Arobaga Confraternity in 2017. One of my
friends, Rabiu, who is now late, introduced me to the group. I didn't know that
the Arobagas had an ongoing war with members of the Black Axe Confraternity. I
was attacked by members of the Black Axe Confraternity the moment news got out
that I was a member of their rival group.”
Mudi further recalled: “ My friend, Rabiu was
killed and my house burnt to the ground. I managed to escape. I later went
to our leader, Oki and demanded for a gun. I needed the gun because I wanted to
avenge the death of my friend and burning down of my house.
“When I learned that some members of the
Black Axe Confraternity were at Ayingba Market Square, I went there with the gun
Oki gave me. I shot at one of them when I sighted him. When I attempted to escape,
the police showed up and arrested me. I took them to Oki's house where he was
arrested. Four other pistols were recovered.”
Mudi and members of his cult group were alleged
by the police to be those that had been terrorizing Ayinga community in Dekani
Local Government Area of Kogi State. They were arrested by operatives of the
Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response, IRT. Since their
arrest, the suspects had maintained that they were not armed robbers, but
cultists.
The police said that five pistols, 15 rounds of
9mm live ammunitions and assorted charms were recovered from the suspects.
The suspects have been identified Kazeem Mudi,
Nasiru Yusuf, Riwa Aminu and Oki Yakubu. Yakubu has been alleged to be the
leader of the gang.
The suspects said that
they had been in a protracted battle of supremacy with Black Axe Confraternity,
over the control of Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Yakubu said that the
guns, ammunitions and charms recovered from his house were those he and his
group had been using in wagging wars against their rivals.
A police source said:
“The suspects have carried out several armed robberies and killings around
Ayingba and other communities within Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi
State. The intelligence report, which led to their arrest emanated from the
office of the Inspector-General of Police and passed on to the IRT, headed by a
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari. A crack team of operatives
were deployed on Ayingba community to track down the suspects. The police
discovered on arriving the community that the suspects were highly dangerous as
they move around the community and it environ with guns, robbing and intimidating
people who crosses their paths. A member of the gang, Kazeem Mudi, was arrested
at Ayingba Market Square, after he successfully robbed some traders in broad
daylight of their cash and mobile phones at gunpoint.
“He was arrested by IRT, while attempting to escape
from the market square. The sound from the shot he fired while robbing his
victim was what attracted the IRT operatives to that market. He was arrested on
his getaway away motorcycle. The gun used for the operation was recovered. He
was interrogated and he confessed that his gang members were in Oki community,
waiting for him to bring home his loot from the robbery. He told us that his
gang leader had more guns in his house. He was taken to the home of his gang
leader, who when he sighted the police ran into the ceiling. He was
chased out and arrested. The gang leader led the police to arrest two other
members of the gang. They confessed to have robbed an Igbo businessman in his
shop recently using one of guns recovered from the gang leader’s house.
“I’m not worried that the suspects are claiming
not to be armed robbers. It’s normal for criminals to reduce the veracity
of their crime once they are caught with credible evidence so as to gain some
sympathy.”
While narrating how he and three other
members of his gang robbed an Igbo businessman, who trades at Igiolo community,
in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nasiru Yusuf said: "I’m a
member of the Arobaga Confraternity. I joined the group three years ago. I led
three of my friends to rob a grocery shop belonging to an Igbo man at Ayingba.
It was my gang leader Oki that gave me the gun for the operation. We took N100,000
from the man and I got N20, 000 as my share. I ran away to Abuja when
policemen came looking for me. They didn't succeed in arresting me then.
It was when I came back to Ayingba and visited Oki that the police arrested
me.”
The alleged leader of
the gang, Yakubu, said that he joined the Arobaga Confraternity due to
oppression.
His words: “Members of
Black Axe Confraternity, usually oppress my friends and I. We then decided
to join Arobaga Confraternity; and since then, we have been
fighting. I own four of the pistols that were recovered from me. I bought them
for my protection. The charms, which were recovered from my house, belonged to
my late grandfather. I don't use them for armed robbery. The Black Axe guys
fighting us are very deadly. They have killed more than eight of my friends in
the last two years. So we needed these guns for our protection.”
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