Three streets
in Odogunyan community, Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area of Lagos
State, have been plunged into mourning, following the death of three people.
Suspected
cultists were alleged to have swooped on the three streets, killing three
people after they couldn’t get the person they came to kill.
The three
streets are Omo Jesu, Oyewunmi and Community. The cultists were said to have
rode into the communities on motorcycles and unleashed hell, leaving sorrow,
tears and blood.
The
cultists first went to Oyewunmi Street, hunting for one Jasper, alleged to be a
member of Aiye Confraternity. Fortunately for Jasper, he had already left home
before the arrival of the killer squad. The squad, miffed at narrowly missing
their target, vented their anger on residents, killing three people.
The three
people killed have been identified as Olatayo Adeyemi alias Ballo, Kemi and David.
The killing spree occurred on May 13, at 9p.m, causing confusion and tension in
the community.
One of the
residents, Mrs. Felicia Njoku, described the murder of the three deceased as, “a
great disaster for every one of us.”
She explained:
“On the fateful day of the attack, everything started on a good note, but
suddenly the peace was shattered as daredevil cultists gunned down three people
in cold blood. Adeyemi was the second person killed by the cultists. On the
very day of the incident, I was with Adeyemi’s wife, Mama Grace. Her shop is
close to mine. We were discussing about my son’s recent Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination (UTME) her husband arrived and joined us in the
discussion. He later left for a nearby gambling shop.”
Njoku
continued: “Before he entered into the gambling shop, he ordered for a
soft drink from a nearby shop. He was sipping the drink and checking the game
he wanted to play, when the cultists suddenly rode past on motorcycle and
opened fire on him. When we heard the gunshots, every one of us ran away in
different directions. After the dust raised settled, we moved close to the
scene of the gunshots and saw Adeyemi. He was shot on the chest. He was rushed
to a private hospital in the community, where he was confirmed dead on arrival.”
Njoku disclosed
that for long, the community had been having cult related issues. She called on
the government and security agents to beam their searchlights on Odogunyan
community, stressing that everyone was now petrified of cult attacks and living
in fear.
She
noted: “I don’t know how Adeyemi’s widow is going to manage without her
husband. She just a photographer and now saddled with fending for four children
alone.”
Adeyemi’s distraught
sister, Joy, said that her brother wouldn’t have been killed if there was power
supply.
She said:
“When Adeyemi returned from sawmill, where he works, he parked his car and went
to buy soft drink from a nearby shop. After he bought the drink, he went to his
wife’s photography shop and from there to the gambling shop. Someone flashed
torchlight at him and before we knew what was happening, they opened fire on
him, shooting him on his chest.
“His wife
later told us that she saw the cultists on their motorcycles, when they were corking
their gun. She couldn’t scream for help, not knowing that it was the same gun
that would kill her husband. His children have been asking for their father.
Since the incident, the wife had not been able to sleep. She has been weeping
every day. I’m using the opportunity to call on the Lagos State Commissioner of
Police, Mr CP Muazu Zubairu, to fish out the killers of my brother.”
An
eyewitness said that the cultists started operation from Oyewunmi Street at
about 8:30p.m, before moving to other streets. At Oyewunmi Street, the marauding
cultists snatched a phone and money from one Kemi and eventually shot her to
death and then proceeded to Community Street where Adeyemi was killed.
A resident
of Oyewunmi Street, who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “The killing of
Kemi was traumatic to everyone in the community. This is because she was an
easy going lady.”
He added:
“Kemi was returning from work on that fateful day. They actually came for
Jasper, but he was not at home. They got angry and attacked Kemi after
collecting her phone and money. We have witnessed series of cult killings in
our community before now, but it had always been between rival groups. They
have never attacked innocent residents like this. Immediately after shooting
Kemi to death, they rode off, leaving her in a pool of blood. Sympathisers
rushed her to a private hospital, where she was confirmed dead.”
When our
correspondent tried to locate and speak with her Kemi’s parents, residents said
that they had gone to stay with their first son.
However,
Kemi’s younger brother was at home. When he tried to speak about the murder of
his sister, he became very emotional. He also refused to disclose his name.
He said:
“I was not at home when my sister was killed. I learnt she was returning from
work when she was attacked. My late sister was a very caring person. There many
security lapses in our community. I don’t understand why motorcyclists should
be allowed into streets at night. Right now, we have resigned to our fates as
Christians.
“I heard
my sister was not the only person killed on that day. I learnt two other
persons were killed at community and Omo Jesu streets. We’re law abiding
citizens; we don’t want to take laws into our hands. We know what to do. It is
a big loss for us. We want adequate security in our community.”
No comments:
Post a Comment