Eight killed in Ogun as cult clashes spread to Sagamu

By Kolawole Olayinka

There seems to be no end to the cult killings ravaging some areas of Ogun State as eight persons were reportedly killed on Monday in Sagamu, headquarters of Sagamu Local Government Area of the state.

Seven persons were killed in Abeokuta in the past one week as members of Eiye and Aiye confraternities engaged in a supremacy battle.

The clash between the rival cult groups got to its peak following the gruesome murder of an area boy popularly known as Tommy in Oluwo, Abeokuta.

Since the death of Tommy, residents of Abeokuta have been living under fear of possible escalation of the crisis.
As of Sunday evening, locals in Panseke, Onikolobo, Oluwo, Adigbe have fled their homes for as gunshots rent the air.
Though the police said 18 persons have been arrested, calm seems not to have been restored as the crisis has now escalated to Sagamu, Remo axis of the state.

As early as 7am on Sunday, sources confirmed that some young men stormed the town, killing their targets.

While a few of the victims were picked up by the police, others were said to have been taken away by their parents.
The Sagamu cult clash, according to sources resulted to the death of one Akeem, an electrician, who was killed at Ajegunle area of the town around 7am.

“Akeem did not die immediately, but when they were rushing him to hospital, another bike hit them and he fell from the bike. That was how he died eventually. His intestines were coming out because he was shot in the stomach,” a source, who did not want his name mentioned said.

It was also gathered that some of the victims were murdered in places like Soyindo, Ijagba, Ajegunle and Sabo all in Sagamu.

“There’s this pain of praying for the same thing for years and not getting response because we’re channeling our energy in the wrong direction. We want peace in the state. Bring an end to this lingering cult clash, it affects everybody. Every street in Sagamu is literally empty,” a resident, Awoyemi Michael stated.

At the moment, residents of Sagamu are calling on the police to put the situation under control.

Contacted, state Police Command spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, promised to find out and revert.

However, he did not pick his calls when our correspondent called him back after about an hour.

Meanwhile, Oyeyemi had earlier threatened that the police would deal with all cultists in the state.

He said the command would also arrest and prosecute landlords harbouring cultists, even as he charged parents to warn their children.

Governor Dapo Abiodun has also assured residents of the state that he would not allow some hoodlums to truncate the peace in being enjoyed in the state.

Abiodun assured that the state would be made peaceful for residents and investors alike.