At least 20 young men have been killed in a violent clash between rival cult groups in Sagamu, the headquarters of Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State.
It was gathered that the suspected cultists, said to be members of the Eiye and Aiye confraternities, resumed their supremacy battle on Saturday, September 16, 2023, and since then over 20 persons including secondary school students and innocent bystanders have been killed.
Graphic videos and photos shared on social media show some of the victims of the attacks lying in the pool of their blood, with one whose hands were cut off by their assailants.
Areas in Sagamu that have become hotbeds for this violent clash include Sabo, Makun, GRA, Ijagba, and Ajaka, where residents have been living in fear as the violence escalates.
An SS3 student met a tragic end at a local barbershop in the Sabo area while one Sunny Pa, an alleged 50-year-old gospel musician, lost his life in the crossfire.
Another victim, Elemere, a popular drummer associated with a well-known local Fuji musician in Sagamu, was brutally murdered at a local bar along with two other women on Sunday.
Reacting to the cult killings, the Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, said the situation in Sagamu goes beyond the deployment of an anti-cultism squad.
“Sagamu case goes beyond the mere anti-cultism squad. The elders know how to handle them. The politicians know what to do. I was in their midst in Sagamu between 2006 and 2008. But no single cult clash before I left in 2008. I worked then with the late Akarigbo, Oba Michael Sonariwo and others,” he stated on his X handle.
The Force PRO added that the Ogun State Commissioner of Police should take action based on the report by some residents that the cultists are well known to security agents.
“I will engage the CP on this. Whoever is dealing with cultists and criminals must not compromise. That person must stand firm and operate against all odds. Most of those who cause this wahala (problem) in Sagamu are not even Sagamites. At times, they come from Ijebu Ode or Ago Iwoye to strike and move
“In some cases, they come as far as Edo State. It’s a problem that the whole system must tackle, not only the security forces. It requires multi-track diplomacy
“We will discuss this with the CP and take the necessary steps. In Sagamu, almost every young one is a cultist. Okada riders, artisans, etc. are into cultism even more than students, and I think the whole town and Remoland, in general, should take action on it.
“I think the community should rise up to it. They should have an urgent meeting with the heads of all the quarters in Sagamu with the police and vigilante to address this matter. Sagamites know and understand what I am saying here. I worked in Sagamu for almost 2 years.”