Ijegun Murder: 19 Arrested Over Killings During Cult War
CHUKA UBAH
The police have arrested 19 suspects in connection with the violence cult war that claimed some lives over leadership tussle in Ijegun area of Lagos.
The three days fighting reportedly claimed three lives, several people suffered various degrees of injuries and properties were destroyed in the process. It took the intervention of the police at Isheri Oshun Division led by the DPO, SP Rafiu Akilade to quell the fighting and bring the situation under control.
The identity of the victims were not known as the police retrieved their corpses and deposited at mortuary for autopsy report while they moved in and commenced thorough investigation to unravel the cause of the crisis.
The residents had earlier thought it was a rival cult clash until P.M.EXPRESS scooped the real cause of the fighting that left panic and tension in the minds of residents in the area.
It was gathered that the real cause of the fight was the supremacy battle between two leaders of a cult group known as Aiye in the area over who had the final say and control of the members. The identities of the leaders were not yet made public but police sources said that one of the leaders have been arrested and handed over to FSARS operatives who have now taken over the investigation.
It was gathered that the arrested cult leader provided the police the needed information which led to the arrest of the other suspects including the ones arrested by the police at Isheri Oshun Division.
Some of the suspects were identified as Jonathan Okonkwo, Aliu Ogida, Samson Adeyemi, Osi Wisdom, Onifade Olayide and others.
The arrest was confirmed by the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, CSP Chike Oti, who said that FSARS operatives have since taken over the investigation to bring the perpetrators to book.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Commissioner of the Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, has warned that the police will not tolerate the activities of the criminals and cultists in the State. He said that the police will continue to identify the cult groups, arrest and prosecute them in various courts in the State.
The activities of the cult group, Aiye, temporarily ceased in the area as the suspects have fled owing to the intensified efforts of the police to arrest the culprits and charge to court. In the meantime, peace has returned to the area.
