One Policeman, three others killed as cultists clash in Ikorodu

By OMON OKHUEVBIE, Lagos

A policeman and three others have been killed over the weekend by notorious cultists who invaded a community at the Gberigbe area of Ikorodu local government in Lagos State.

It was gathered that some land- grabbers, led some notorious cultists to invade the community, causing mayhem and unrest.

While narrating the incident, the Secretary to the Orelade/Ladera Royal Family of Gberigbe community, Mr Olayiwola Akanmu, whose family owns the land said the incident that culminated to the death of the policeman and three persons to news media said it was after some mobile policemen who had been keeping watch on the community were withdrawn early June this year that made the area vulnerable to incessant cultists attacks, working in cohort with some land grabbers in the vicinity.

When asked if the matter has been reported to the police, Akanmu said the police at Imota police station was informed of the matter but has not taken the necessary proactive action to bring the situation under control.

Mr Akanmu narrated that before now there have been palpable tension within the community following an alleged previous murder which took place on May 20th after the land-grabbers and cultists who have been terrorising the community had a clash with some soldiers on patrol which eventually made the cultists to relocate temporarily out of the community.

It was however learnt that after awhile the cultists and the land- grabbers came back to the community and petitioned the police in Abuja, at the homicide section, to investigate the murder that happened when they had a clash with the military boys.

However, the presence of some policemen in the community became a hindrance to the cultists and land grabbers from terrorizing the entire community and in the process take possession of people’s land illegally and resell to unsuspecting buyers.

In order to remove the policemen from the community, the land grabbers, it was alleged again, petitioned X-SQUAD in Abuja led by one ASP Emmanuel and Inspector Rachel who later withdrew the policemen from the community on Friday 29th August 2021 and the land grabbers and their gangs allegedly invaded the community the following day, Saturday 21st August 2021 to commit their mayhem in the community and in the process gruesomely murdered one policeman and three other persons.

Akanmu said the Gberigbe area of Ikorodu local government is currently not safe and therefore called on the Inspector-General of police and other relevant security agencies to come to their rescue.

Mr Akanmu added that there is tension in the Community as people cannot go about their daily businesses for the fear of another attack.

Also the Baale of the community, Chief Olugbenga Adaralohun who spoke on the issue said the Orelade-Ladera family owns the land that the land-grabbers want to illegally take possession of. According to the Baale, the matter has been settled in the court which gave the title of the land to the Orelade Ladera family.

The Baale opined that the law of the country and that of the Lagos State negates people taking laws into their hands even the use of land grabbers to forcefully take over people’s land without going through the law courts is illegal.

Efforts to get the other party’s story proved abortive as none of them were on ground to speak with journalists at the time of filing in this report.

Meanwhile, one Sholaa a.k.a Baba Esu and three others in connection with the mayhem and are currently in the police custody of the Area N Police station.

However, efforts to get the Command’s side of the story proved abortive as calls put across to the spokesperson, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu by our Correspondent was not answered neither did he replied to the message sent to him on his mobile line as at the time of filing this report. (Daily Independent)