Cult Groups Kills 2 Traders, Injure Many At Ladipo Market

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

It was a black weekend on Saturday at Ladipo market after some cult groups went on rampage, killed two traders inside the market and injured many in attempts to rob them of their money at Mushin Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the traders were helpless and at the mercy of the dreaded cult groups that had taken over the market as their headquarters in Lagos. It was gathered that there were more than 10 cult groups operating in the market. They move around the market with their guns, machetes, axes and charms to monitor traders who made huge sales so that they can collect the money.

One of the victims identified as Ndubuisi who was a traders at Aguiyi Ironsi International market popularly known as Paramo was on Saturday shot on the head and he bled to death.

The incident happened at the carnal area of the market where the traders regarded as the haven to the gangs.

It was learnt that the late Ndubuisi was going home before some of the gang members who monitored him while he made sales at his shop, accosted him and demanded for the money he sold from axle parts he had sold to a customer. It was gathered that as the deceased attempted to deny, one of them brought out a short gun shot him on his head while another shot him on his two legs and the third person eventually shot on the stomach. Immediately Ndubuisi fell down, they collected all the money he had on him and ensured that they monitored until he was confirmed dead.

Another victim was also killed at the same carnal area in the same manner but with an axe which they used to inflict serious injury on his head and was rushed to a hospital where he eventually died.

Another ugly incident was at the Toyota area of the market where the same gang used cutlasses to sever a victim’s two legs for refusing to part with the money he had with him. He was taken to a hospital where the traders were said to have doubted his survival.

P.M.EXPRESS attempted to find out why those cult groups were operating with that level of control in the market. It was gathered that it was a combination of two factors.
One of it was attributed to the total collapse of leadership in the entire market under the leadership of Mr. Kingsley Ogunor and his executives at the central body. The second factor was that during the crisis that rocked the market, some of those cult boys were brought into the market by the factions that existed and were given strong support and equipped with some arms.

However, when peace returned to the market the leaders were unable to retrieve those weapons and so the boys started using them to commit various crimes within and outside the market for their survival.

Some of the traders who spoke to P.M.EXPRESS lamented that they were under siege and there was no freedom insight because the market leaders were afraid because of the past commitment to the boys. Others said it was like their nemesis, because the traders saw and knew those boys when they were brought into the market during the crisis and having grown in confidence were unleashing terror on them.