There is tension in the Somolu and Bariga areas of Lagos State after four suspected cult members were killed during a gang war.
Among the slain was self-confessed Eiye Confraternity leader, Ibrahim Balogun, aka Small Jpron, who was paraded in 2016 at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja, for the killing of five rival cult members.The 31-year-old had recently returned home from prison under controversial circumstances before he met cruel fate.
PUNCH Metro learnt that three others, identified as Solomon (aka Solo), Baale and Omooba, were killed in reprisals.
Another suspected cult member, identified only as Yesuru, was reportedly shot; his whereabouts was, however, unknown.
Our correspondent gathered that pandemonium broke out when a candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the House of Representatives, Ademorin Kuye, allegedly held a meeting to thank APC members in the Somolu Federal Constituency for electing him as a candidate of the party during the recent primary.
The event was said to have held at a restaurant in the Obanikoro end of Ikorodu Road.
Hoodlums, who had allegedly trailed Balogun to the event, were said to have opened fire on him.
The men, suspected to be members of the Aiye Confraternity, a rival cult allegedly led by one Biola, were said to have accused the deceased of fleeing with about N500,000 given by a politician in another gathering.
Members of the deceased’s cult were said to have chased Solomon, an Aiye member, caught up with him around Larex Hotel, Palmgroove, and smashed a big stone on his head.
The hoodlums reportedly rode on motorcycles through Onajimi, Oreofero, Balogun, Olorunkemi, Popoola and Bashorun streets, vandalising vehicles parked by roadsides.
The two other victims, Baale and Omooba, were reportedly killed in Bariga as tension spread.
A resident, who did not want to be identified for security reasons, said trouble started when Balogun was shot around 5pm on Wednesday.
He said, “Kuye on Wednesday called a meeting to thank his supporters for helping him to secure the APC House of Representatives’ ticket. There were over 200 people at the gathering.
“He was still addressing the gathering, which included party faithful, when we heard three gunshots. There was panic in the restaurant as everybody ran helter-skelter.
“We saw that Small Jpron (Balogun) had been hit by bullets. We learnt that he was trailed to the event by some boys who were aggrieved that he fled with over N500,000 given to all of them to share recently.”
The source added that Solomon was spotted at the event.
“Those that pursued him cannot be less than 300. They had different weapons. They caught up with him around Larex Hotel, which is a stone’s throw from the venue of the event. They broke his skull with a big stone and left him in a pool of blood,” he said.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Balogun was rushed to a public hospital for treatment.
The management of the hospital, on discovering that he was a gunshot patient, reportedly alerted the police after admitting him.
A police source said, “It was discovered that he had internal bleeding. Someone used a broken louvre to slash him in the back before bullets were pumped into his body. He was initially responding to treatment before he gave up.”
Our correspondent was told that the news of Balogun’s death created tension as his gang members went on the rampage.
PUNCH Metro, during a visit to Somolu on Thursday counted 12 vandalised vehicles on Onajimi, Oreofero, Balogun, Olorunkemi, Popoola and Bashorun streets.
A resident, however, said the figure was higher.
He said, “Those hoodlums were many. They were in threes on each motorcycle as they went from one street to another, destroying people’s property. The vehicles damaged cannot be less than 20. We called the police, but nobody came until the hoodlums left.”
Our correspondent observed that there was still tension in the area as of Thursday morning, as some plain-clothes policemen raided the streets with a yellow commercial bus.
Shop owners, pharmacists and passersby were reportedly arrested during the raid as residents accused the police of arresting innocent people.
A source said the Somolu council chairman called the Somolu Divisional Police Officer and gave him 24 hours to produce Balogun’s killers.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, in a statement, confirmed two deaths, adding that 21 suspects had been arrested.
He said, “Around 5.15pm, the Divisional Police Officer of Pedro Police Station received a call that two persons, later identified as Ibrahim, aka Small Japron, and one Solo, were killed at a political gathering organised by Ademorin Kuye at Home Touch.
“The deceased, who had been involved in several cult clashes, were on the wanted list of the police for leading several cult fights in the Somolu, Bariga, Fadeyi and Ojuelegba areas of the state.
“They were trailed to the gathering by a rival cult, which invaded the arena and attacked people. The fight was, however, brought to an end by the police, who arrived quickly at the scene and made some arrests.
“Unfortunately for the notorious cult members, Ibrahim and Solo, they died from the injuries sustained during the fight.”
Oti, who recalled that the command had warned politicians against gatherings in public places without notifying the police for security reasons, said Kuye did not inform the police of the rally.
He noted that while the 21 suspects had been transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, Kuye had also been invited for questioning.
Kuye, when contacted by PUNCH Metro, described the police statement as “irresponsible and stupid,” adding that he did not organise any rally.