About 11 persons have been killed by suspected cult members in some Ogun state communities by rampaging secret cultists who are celebrating their anniversary.
To commemorate their anniversary tagged 7/7, some members of Aye Confraternity went on rampage at about 11:00am on Wednesday as no fewer than 11 persons have been killed while four persons were also injured as houses and cars were vandalised by the secret cult members in Igode and Fakale communities in the Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State.
It was gathered that the grand finale of the anniversary was held on Thursday, July 7, 2016 at Emuren, a neighbouring community as hoodlums numbering about 25 on motorcycles, came from Emuren, wielding guns and cutlasses in the attack that lasted for about 10 hours.
According to a report on Punch, the cultist's targets were said to be members of the Eiye Confraternity, a rival cult, as the bandits who reportedly wore masks, shot dead three welders who were said to be returning from a work site on a motorcycle at a junction bordering Emuren and Igode.
It was further learnt that the rampaging cultists proceeded to the Fakale community, where they opened fire on a crowd watching a football match in a viewing centre, killing seven persons, as one of the deceased have been identified simply as Dare, a member of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC).
A football viewing centre attacked by the cultists
Other victims were identified as Ibukun, Ismaila, Sunday, and a steel rod seller, Dare Olakanmi. Three of the victims were said to have been buried as four others, who were injured, were said to have been taken to a hospital in Sagamu.
A correspondent who visited the communities late on Thursday, reported that palpable fear had enveloped the residents who were said to have fled while commercial activities had been paralysed as shops were shut.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the OPC in the community, Wole Oladunjo, said, “The fight was between Eiye and Aye confraternities. The Aye members are based in Emuren. The OPC had nothing to do with the fight. But surprisingly, they (Aye members) came here on Wednesday and started shooting sporadically. They killed seven persons in a viewing centre.
“One of the deceased was our member. The others killed were not Eiye members. They were hard working youths. Four persons are still in the hospital receiving treatment. The police picked four corpses and three of them have been buried.
“The policemen, who came that evening, were blaring their sirens from afar and this gave those boys the chance to escape,” he said.
An OPC member, who identified himself as Ajibola Defence, disclosed that the hoodlums inscribed 7/7 on those killed and on a refrigerator they destroyed inside a shop.
He said, “We learnt the Aye members are celebrating their anniversary this month. They started on July 1 and today (Thursday) is the last day. Whenever they celebrate the anniversary, they kill. They wrote 7/7 on the heads of the persons they killed.”
The Secretary of the OPC in the community, Idris Lawal, vowed that his members would avenge the killings, adding that the victims were innocent residents.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the killings, saying that the cultists had gone to attack Eiye cult members at Fakale, addinh that the police had restored calm to the area.
Adejobi said, “I am aware of the killings in Fakale community. We got information that some suspected Aye cult members were planning to have a party and they bought a goat. A rival group went to kill the goat and they became annoyed. They killed four persons, who were their targets.
“The Divisional Police Officer, Ogijo division, and the chairman, Sagamu Local Government Area, with some government officials, have visited the community. The police are on the trail of the suspects.”
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