Community in panic after gunmen kill cultist near school

Following the killing of a suspected cultist, Oluwaseun Adebayo, an alleged member of the Aiye Confraternity, residents of Eru Oloja, Simawa community in the Mowe area of Ogun State, are afraid of reprisal attacks.

The killing of a suspected cultist by unidentified gunmen has left residents of Eru Oloja, Simawa community in the Mowe area of Ogun State, in fear of reprisal attacks.

Oluwaseun Adebayo, an alleged member of the Aiye Confraternity was on Tuesday, July 7, at about 5.30pm killed near the community school by gunmen who are also believed to be cultists.

According to Punch reports, the 32-year-old, also called Jafunrae, was waylaid by three men on a motorcycle as he returned home on another motorcycle.

They shot him in the head, killing him instantly, and fled the area.

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Residents are now afraid that other cultists may retaliate and unleash mayhem in the community.

A landlord spoke with Punch said the cultists could turn the area into a battlefield.

“We do not know what the deceased and the attackers had in common, but why should they kill him in our area," he said,

"We don’t want the other gang to invade our area and start killing our children. We want the police to intensify security in our area.”

Another resident, Esa Oke, told the newspaper that the corpse was left on the road until the following day.

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The man’s bloodstained body was on the road overnight, and our children were made to be seeing that gory sight," Oke said.

"The deceased was said to be a member of the Aiye Confraternity.”

Oke urged the police to take action to ensure the peace.

Confirming the incident, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, said the police had since intensified patrol, leading to the arrest of two suspects.

“The killing is true, but policemen in the area, led by the Divisional Police Officer, launched a raid on the cultists’ hideout, and arrested two suspected cultists," he said.

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“We have not established whether the two are responsible for the killing, but they will be charged to court for cultism on Wednesday."

Cult violence is a major source of worry for residents in several communities in Nigeria.

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