Fear grips residents as decapitated heads litter Lagos roads

Taiwo Jimoh

Fear has gripped residents of Oko Nla, Ajah area of Lagos following a protracted cult-war that started since Thursday, leaving roads littered with decapitated human heads.

The clash is between Eiye and Aiye cult members in the community. It was learnt that four suspected cult members were beheaded by their rival groups and dumped them on the road side.
A resident of the area, who spoke with our correspondent under the condition of anonymity said:  “We have been indoors since the killings started.”
He explained that the mayhem started on Thursday after a land speculator, Alfa Nla, was killed. He said that Alfa Nla was one of the people in the community that had been fighting about cultists and cultism.
He further disclosed: “There are shanties around that community, where many foreigners, including Togolese live. These foreigners are mostly those involved in cultism. It is believed that they killed Alfa Nla. He was killed on Thursday during a minor issue. Since then, there had been no peace. His boys re-enforced and had been fighting the other boys.
“On Wednesday, three persons were beheaded by rival group from Saudi, a shanti community. In the reprisal that followed, someone was killed at Olokonla. The policemen came on Friday after one of the clashes took place, but left later. Right now, we are begging for police presence. We can’t leave our houses.
He further said: “Killings have been going on for long. Between yesterday and today, they have killed three people. They cut off two heads and kept them beside their bodies. The third victim was not beheaded. On Thursday evening, Alfa Nla was killed. People are so scared right now, that they are parking out of the community. But as for me, I have nowhere to run. This is the only home I have. They killed three in the community behind Lagos Business School. In that community, everything crime you can think of, including robbery takes place there. This morning, we learnt there were five corpses on the roads, but we saw only the three I mentioned earlier.
When the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of Operations was alerted about the matter yesterday evening, he immediately radioed Area J Command and other policemen to Olokonla.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkana, while confirming the incident, said that at least corpses had been recovered.
He added: "One of the heads we recovered had machete cuts. The bodies had been deposited at the mortuary and investigation is ongoing."