Two shot dead in renewed cult violence in Lagos

Policeman

Two suspected cultists, identified simply as Monday and Efe, have been shot dead in a fresh wave of cult-related violence in the Ojo area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the killings occurred on Sunday at different locations within the community.

A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the incident, said the victims were discovered with gunshot wounds.

“Two bodies were found in the community on Sunday with gunshot injuries. We later learnt that the killings were carried out by suspected cultists in what appeared to be a reprisal attack by rival groups. The police subsequently evacuated the bodies,” the source said.

An anti-cultism platform, Confra Naija, alleged in a post on X that one of the victims, Monday, was a former chairman of the Neo Black Movement in Alaba International Market, and was also described by some as a long-time leader of the Aye confraternity in the area.

The platform claimed that Monday had been a target for some time and that a close associate of his, also said to be a former Aye leader, was killed in March last year.

Confra Naija further alleged that the second victim, Efe, was another NBM leader in Ojo, though he was said not to be a regular presence in the area. According to the platform, Efe was reportedly attacked while outside charging his phone during a power outage. The post alleged that suspected members of a rival group accosted and killed him.

In a video seen by PUNCH Metro, one of the victims was lying in what appeared to be an electronics shop, while gunshots were heard. Another clip showed a man lying motionless with visible gunshot wounds.

Reacting to the incident on X, a user, Roland Inuedo, expressed concern over the spate of violence in Ojo and surrounding areas.