Thirteen suspected cultists have been killed in the ongoing clash between members of the Eiye and Aiye confraternities in the Ijede Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.
Residents told PUNCH Metro during a visit to the community that they were unsafe as the cultists freely use sophisticated weapons in the Luwasa, Igbe and Ijede areas of Ikorodu.
Nine of the thirteen deceased cultists were said to have been killed by members of rival groups, while the remaining four were allegedly killed by soldiers, who gave them a hot chase after reportedly burning the family house of the Obateru of Egbin in Ijede.
A resident, Bayo Adegbaju, who stated that the frequent cult clashes were creating panic in the community, said two of the victims were pupils of a Junior Secondary School in the area, adding that other pupils had abandoned their studies due to the attack on the school premises.
He said, “In December, a cultist, Saheed, was shot in the mouth by rivals, but he was lucky to escape. After his wound healed, he and his gang had a clash with members of the rival group on Monday, January 20, 2020, and two of the cultists were stabbed in the stomach and chest. The victims were rushed to the health centre in Ijede, where they died the following day.
“In the early hours of Tuesday, some cultists used a machete to kill a rival in his house around the De-John School. I was going to work in the morning when I saw a crowd in front of the deceased’s house. I saw the head with multiple machete cuts and bloodstains all over the wall.
Punch
