No fewer than 10 young men have been reportedly killed in Sagamu area of Ogun State as suspected cultists went on rampage in the past few days.
Residents of Sagamu, who spoke with our correspondent anonymously, said they could no longer sleep with their two eyes closed.
On Monday night, it was gathered that there were heavy gunshots across the city, creating tension among residents, who feared being hit by stray bullets.
One person was reportedly shot dead on Monday during the clash between rival cult groups.
“One thing that surprised me most is that most of them are childhood friends, schoolmates, friends and brothers. But suddenly, in the name of cultism, they turned into enemies. Sagamu was a great town before cultism arrived. I remember we used to go from one carnival to another every Sagamu Day celebration and even during December time. Unfortunately, there is nothing like that again. May Almighty God put his fear into their hearts so as to have a rethink before it is too late. Say no to killings, say no to cultism. Let’s embrace. Let’s embrace love and peace,” a resident of Sagamu, Shittu Jamiu, said on Monday.
ODUDUWA NEWS reports that indigenes of the ancient city have taken to the social media to appeal to the Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remo, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, to rein in the restive youths and restore peace to Sagamu, going the traditional way.
Baffled by the cases of cult clashes in Sagamu, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, had on Tuesday visited the area to assess the situation and bring the situation under control.
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Some of the suspected cultists have been arrested by the police, a source told our correspondent.
Contacted, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he could not confirm the number of those killed in the lingering cult clashes.
However, he disclosed that the most wanted cultists in Sagamu have been arrested.
“I don’t know where people got such figure (of casualty) from. I don’t know about the figure of 10 people being killed; but as of this morning, we have in our custody now, the most wanted cultists in Sagamu.
“In fact, they are two and the two of them are currently in our custody,” Oyeyemi stated.