Herbalist Flees Home After Assassination Attempt

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

A Lagos herbal doctor, Francis Adedeji Mafoluku has flee from his home with members of his family scattered after he narrowedly escaped death when recently some gunmen suspected to be hired assassins attacked his house in Badagry, Lagos State, Nigeria.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that although, the gunmen missed the herbalist, he has gone into hiding as he lamented that his life and that of members of his family were no longer safe.

He believes that the armed men wanted him dead because he knew them as pipeline vandals.

A police source who confirmed the incident said they have commenced investigations in to unravel those behind the attack which happened on 10 July 2016 at the herbalist home in Ajara area of Badagry, Lagos.

The source narrated that a five armed gang suspected to be hired assassins had invaded Francis home in the night looking for him.

He said before the gunmen could gain entrance into the compound, they first attacked and killed his security dog and broke the doors to gain entrance into the main building.

Also corroborating the police source, a cousin of the herbalist who simply gave his name as Ayodele, who was a witness and also a victim, said the men searched every room, looking for Francis who was lucky to have escaped the attack because he did not sleep in the house on that day.

Ayodele recalled that when they didn’t find Francis in the house, they descended and brutally dealt with him and later inflicted injuries on his head and other parts of his body.

He said the bandits later destroyed some properties but left without taken any property in the house. They however promised to come back until they meet and deal with Francis.

Speaking to P.M.EXPRESS from his hide out, Francis explained that he owns and runs a herbal clinic in his house where patients visit and are treated for various ailments.
He however said his problem started on 7 July 2016 when two of his patients revealed to him that they illegally drill holes into Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC pipeline at Ikorodu area of Lagos State to siphon petroleum products for sales.

He said he tried to persuade them to stop doing such business and educated them that it was an act of economic sabotage.

Francis said the men refused to listen, claiming that they make a lot of money from it. They later approached him and asked him to assist them with some spiritual powers that will enable them to achieve further successes in their illegal bunkering business. He said he declined and asked them to leave his house where he also uses as his office.
The herbalist said after the encounter the men started suspecting that he might report them to the police which led to them threatening to eliminate him.
He said he did not take the threat serious until when he started seeing strange people around his compound in the area before he decided to report to the police until those gunmen eventually came to attack him.
He said he has narrated and provided vital information to the police and appealed for prompt action from law enforcement agents to apprehend those suspects so that he will have rest of mind.
Francis said he and members of his family had to leave their house because of the threat which he said he does not know when it will end.
When our correspondent contacted the Lagos Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO, DSP Dolapo Badmos on phone on the matter, she did not respond as her phone was switched off as at the time of filing this report.