Cult clash: Five dead, many injured in Ikorodu

Five persons were feared killed and several others in­jured yesterday, when two rival cult groups clashed at Odogunyan Area of Ikorodu, Local Government, Lagos State.

However, the Police

con­firmed two dead.

It was gathered that two ri­val cult groups had engaged themselves in a battle for su­premacy near the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) and five persons were killed while several others sus­tained various degree of in­jury.

A resident, Wasiu Bolarin­wa said that, “at about 2.30 am, we sighted some group of boys dressed in black. I knew they were cult group because, it is almost on daily basis that we witness clashes among cult groups.

“I was looking through the window and I started hearing gun shots and cries of agony. When the fight was over,I saw over five dead bodies. Many others were also in­jured.

“It was really a war be­cause the gun shot lasted over 30 minutes. We are appeal­ing to the State Governor and the Commissioner of Police to come to our rescue because we live in fears as cult war is now the order of the day. The prob­lem is that cultism is no longer restricted to higher institutions but now cuts across secondary schools.

“Many innocent people have suffered casualties for what they did not know. Some were hit by stray bullets while in­side their rooms. I know of one Mathew who ran into the cross fire during the yesterday’s clash. He was matcheted. He was rushing his son to the hospital when the inci­dent happened.”

The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Dalapo Badmos, a Super­intendent of Police (SP) said, “this morning, two male corpses Usman Ibi­kunle and George Olaitan were brought to the station with matchet cuts. They were picked on the road but we are not aware how they were killed because there was no skirmishes. The Family of the vic­tims have brought sworn affidavits requesting that the corpses should be given to them for burial.

“As it is, there is nor­malcy in the area but we are on the lookout for the culprits. There is in­tensive motorised patrol in the area to avoid re­prisal attack. Everybody should go about their normal duty.”