The last Wednesday afternoon invasion of Alaba International Market by a gang of gunmen who killed no fewer than five people has highlighted the menace of cultism outside the walls of higher institutions in Lagos and neighbouring communities.
No fewer than 50 lives have in recent times been lost to cult war in the state.
Barely three weeks ago, six people were killed when rival cult groups clashed during a child christening ceremony in Mushin area of Lagos State. A bar manager and three others around the University of Lagos road, Akoka, Yaba were also killed and two days later, the Mushin war was reignited, when cult members clashed and killed two people in Somolu and Bariga areas of the state.
Until recently, cultism used to be a secret affair on the institution campuses but emerging threats in Lagos and other states seem to have indicated that cultism has become a tool for settling scores among politicians, trade unionists, transport unionists and other people who have differences.
For instance,
a popular hip hop musician, Damilola Olaniyan Ibraheem, popularly known as Damoche was in March killed by cult members at the Lagos State University in an incidence that has become one of the unresolved murder cases in recent times. No fewer than two other students were killed in different reprisal attacks over the death of the late musician.
Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that it has now become a trend in Lagos State for members of different cult groups to flaunt their membership by adorning colours that are peculiar to their fraternity. On several occasions, clashes had started from non members allegedly cladding themselves in colours perceived as symbols of a particular cult group.
Lagos communities which include Mushin, Somolu, Bariga, Ojodu, Ojo, Okokomaiko, Yaba, Surulere, Lagos Island and Ikorodu have in recent times played host to fierce clashes between rival cult groups, leading to deaths and destruction of properties worth millions of naira.
Last Wednesday, a gang of suspected cult members was said to have been merry-making at a joint close to a canal at a section of the Alaba International Market when a gang of rival cult members invaded the market and opened fire killing five of them in the process. It was said that the invading gang members did not give their rivals the opportunity to respond as locally made pistols were later recovered from the fallen suspected cultists.
In Mushin, cult war has replaced the age-long hooliganism and armed robbery that used to symbolise the Lagos community. Six people have, in the last few weeks, been killed as rival cult groups renewed hostilities. Hoodlums and members of transport unions in the area have been said to have also openly displayed their membership of cult groups.
Adeolu Otenaike, a 400 level student of North America University, Republic of Benin, was in March hacked to death by cult members, who waylaid him around Empire in Mosalasi area of Mushin. The deceased student had gone to a popular bar in the area to celebrate his acquisition of a new car with friend, when the cult members killed him.
In the past, it used to be a clash for territorial control between youths in Mushin and their counterpart in Fadeyi but new dimension seems to have been introduced to the mix as the warring youths now fight over which cult group is superior to the other. One of such cult superiority clash led to the death of six people around Alhaji Ota Street, Olosa and Idi Oro streets of Lagos State.
A policeman in one of the divisions in Mushin, while speaking recently with the Nigerian Tribune, disclosed that no fewer than 15 members of different secret cult groups have been arrested by the police in Mushin area of Lagos, between September 2012 and April 2013 and added that the arrested cult members have all confessed to belonging to the Eiye Aiye and Black Axe confraternities. It was also stated that the police had identified the operational bases of the cult groups around Idi Oro, Fadeyi and Jibowu and Empire areas of the state.
“Within the months of September and October 2012, some parts of Mushin were war zone areas between cult groups. We got the names of some of the leaders and begin to arrest them. All the suspected cultists were arrested by Alakara police division. Some of the suspects had been charged to court. Some were transferred to the State CID, some were detained in Zone D Mushin, while some detained at Alakara for investigation,” the policeman said.
He added that “one of the ring leaders operating at Ogunmokun/Tollgate area, simply identified as Saheed, was arrested recently. The arrest and prosecution of majority of their leaders have brought peace to the area. We are still on the trail of some of them who relocated from the area. We have their names. We have posted our men both in uniform in patrol vehicles and mufti to look out for them. Only one student cultist had been killed in this area in the last four months.”
About two months ago a 26-year-old man, Sunkanmi Sodiq, was added to the endless list of casualties who died as a result of clashes between members of Eiye and Aiye fraternities in Somolu and Bariga areas of the state. For more than three years now, residents of Somolu had experienced intermittent clashes from these two rival groups. Quadri, an Ordinary National Diploma graduate of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, was caught in the exchange of fire between members of the two cult groups.
A resident of Bariga , who pleaded anonymity, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune gave an insight into the operations of the cult groups. “Before now there had always been serious clashes between the two groups of cultists and each of them had their base. The Aiye people own Bariga, while the Eiye boys have their bases in many parts of Somolu. The Eiye group is mostly dominated by the EFCC boys.”
Some weeks after Sodiq was killed, another cult member in the area simply identified as “Old Skool was stabbed to death in another clash between cult members in Somolu. Angry members of Old Skool group, while having a candle light procession in his honour went on rampage, destroying no fewer than one hundred houses, scores of vehicles and injuring dozens of people.
A business woman, simply identified as Iya Ope said that she narrowly escaped death as a member of the gang pursued her with a cutlass. She however lost money and other valuables in her shop to the hoodlums. “They should just settle the matter for them. We didn’t know them, we were not fighting with them and those who know them said that they are boys from Somolu. They destroyed all the things in my shop and snatched my bag. One of them even wanted to kill me but it was God that saved me. We now close early for the fear of another clash,” Iya Ope said.
Vincent Olatunde, a resident of the area blamed the continual clash between rival cult groups in Somolu and Bariga on the influence of personalities whose children are involved in the act. “Most of the cultists are well known. They are the children of known people in the community and the politicians know them and they use them. They are ubiquitous. They are also into armed robbery,” he said.
In Ikorodu, the situation is not in any way different as residents of Igbagbo, Solomade, Grammar School, Ladega and Owolowo areas of the community have in the last few years been at the mercy of cultists, who are hiding under the activities of students of the Ikorodu Campus of Lagos State Polytechnic.
A resident of Igbagbo, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, said “cultism is not a hidden activity in Ikorodu,” alleging that members of different groups are being backed by politicians who use them as political thugs during election periods.
The source added that “Ladega and Solomade are more notorious cult groups. They openly and brazenly smoke Indian hemp and cocaine along the street. Hoodlums who have been initiated into cultism rob passersby along the street with impunity and on most occasions, they were never arrested by the police.”
Two people were last week killed in Odo kekere area of Ikorodu as a gang of cult members invaded the area in a reprisal attack to avenge the death of a member of the group who had been killed. The clash was between members of Eiye and Aiye.
In April, a Senior Secondary School student, Abdulazeez Aremu, who was writing his SSCE final examinations, and three others were killed during a cult war in Mile 2 area of the state. The clash that led to the young boy’s death reportedly started between members of Eiye and Aiye Fraternity at a football viewing centre in the area.
Also in April, a joint team of policemen, officers of the Nigerian Army, detectives from the State Security Services arrested 160 suspected cult members at different hideouts on the island of Lagos State as parts of the activities to checkmate the rising influence of cultism among youths in the area.
The upsurge in deaths from cult clashes in Lagos State is not complete without the mention of the Shita Street, Surulere clash, where two brothers and a pregnant woman were killed by rampaging rival cult members who invaded a bar in the area.
Many reasons have however been attributed to the rising cases of cult clashes and activities in Lagos State. Some residents of the affected areas blamed politicians, security operatives and transport unionists for supporting members of the different cult group.
Wale, a resident of Ikorodu, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune said “my brother, politicians in this area should be blamed for the activities of these boys [cult members]. They are the ones that support them; they are the ones that patronise them.” He gave an instance during the last general elections in the state, when three people, who were supporters of one of the aspirants for the state House of Assembly, died during a clash that emanated over sharing ratio of the money given by the aspirant.
A resident of Somolu, who pleaded anonymity, blamed security operatives, particularly policemen for the unending cult wars in Somolu Bariga. He even alleged that some policemen belong to one or two of the cult groups.
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