Ogun: Three killed, six arrested as cultists engage police in gun duel

Three persons were reportedly killed in Ogun State on Tuesday as some suspected cultists engaged one another in Abeokuta, the State capital. The clash, it was learnt, was as a result of the gruesome killing of a suspected Aiye cult member on Sunday. It was learnt that victim’s colleagues went on rampage in an attempt to avenge the death of the area boy, popularly known as Wale. A security agent informed our correspondent that two persons were killed around Slaab and Amolasho in the early hours of Tuesday. Also, one person was killed in front in front of a filling station at Ijaye area of the metropolis as the rival cult groups ‘overran’ the State capital on Tuesday morning “The corpses have been evacuated and deposited in the mortuary,” the source said. In an attempt to restore normalcy, the Ogun State police command had deployed its men to the affected areas, but the cultists were said to have engaged the police in a gun battle. The incident has since paralysed commercial activities around Ijaye and Iyana Mortuary as residents and motorists took cover. The Ogun State police spokesman, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident, saying six men belonging to Eiye and Aiye confraternities have been arrested in Abeokuta. Oyeyemi identified the suspects as: Kazeem Ogundairo (a.k.a NEPA), Ayo Joshua (a.k.a Terry G), Nasiru Idris (a.k.a Aloma), Bisiriyu Ibrahim Owoyele, Damilare Shogbamu (a.k.a Dhray) and Labulo Jamiu (a.k.a Jay boy). He said they were arrested after residents of Ijaye contacted the police to inform them that “the cultists were running riot in the area.” According to him, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, had mobilised the special squad led by ACP Bolanle Muritala to the scene, so as to bring the situation under control. “On sighting the policemen, some of the hoodlums ran to different directions, while some engaged the policemen with dangerous weapons. “At the end of the encounter, the squad succeeded in arresting six amongst the hoodlums, while others escaped,” Oyeyemi explained.