Dappa Maharajah
NO fewer than 10 lives have been lost since Sunday in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, over recurrent clashes and reprisal attacks by suspected cult groups in the metropolitan city.
This resulted in the gruesome murder of another young man, who was suspected to be a cult member at NEPA Area around 10pm on Monday night, increasing such death toll to 10.
The Polity gathered that the clashes had been between the notorious Eye Confranity and Aiye Confranity members, who were bent on reprisal attacks to settle scores among themselves.
An eyewitness, who spoke with our correspondent on anonymity, narrated that he heard salvoes of gunshots and everybody scampered for safety. He added that they returned to the scene and met the victim in his pool of blood.
“This is becoming too rampant, also I learnt that a guy was killed at Obanla few days ago, while another one got his untimely death yesterday at Roadblock Area,” he said.
Other people, who spoke with our correspondent in the city, expressed constant fears and trepidations, noting that the Anti-Cultism Squad instituted by a former Commissioner, Mr. Isaac Eke, was not as effective as it used to be.
They added that since Eke was transferred out of the state, various cult groups started to resurface and get stronger by the day to torment the residents and foment troubles in the state.
Another resident revealed that “What police are doing is to wait for the killings to happen and they start raiding. In the last two days they arrested more than 100 people.
“They were at Odopetu and Tipper Garage. I think they are using the development to make money, running after Yahoo boys to extort them. They overlooked leprousy, the real ailment, to find solutions to mere rashes,” he said.
The President of Akure Youth Coalition (AYC), Mr. Tuyi Adekambi, lamented that the community and police authority had turned deaf ears to their warnings concerning the menace.
According to him, “Before now have called all individuals and groups that matters that Akure community is seating on the keg of a gun powder with the activities of all these rivalry cults.
“They have graduated from night attacks and killings to a broad daylight operation. There is pandemonium in all the nook and cranny of Akure. They depossess innocent people of their belonging and many people ran to danger everyday.”
Adekambi lamented that “our youths are dying everyday. Help us to call Mr Governor and our celebrated SSG to rise to their responsibilities.” He threatened that AYC members would shut down major roads and market to register their protest.
Similarly, the Coordinator of Youth Assembly of Nigeria (YAN), Ondo State Chapter, Mr. Adeyelu Oluwadamilare, decried the unabated cult activities in the metropolitan city that was once peaceful.
Adeyelu urged Akeredolu, as the Security Chief of the state, to step up measures to nip the killings, cultism and other related activities in the bud.
“We as a body, therefore call on other youth organisations and platforms, including the youth apex body in Nigeria, to assist the society in making it a milieu of mutual coexistence.
“And also, emancipate our youths from all forms of social vices which has no positive role in our respective lives. Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of justice,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Femi Joseph, who confirmed the incident, noted that the state command mobilized a continent of its personnel to curtail the crisis.
According to him, the Police promptly kicked off investigations into the unrest, which had led to the arrest of more than 20 suspects nabbed mainly for cultism, robbery, burglary, kidnapping and other related crimes.
Joseph assured the residents of Akure to remain calm and continue with their day-to-day activities without panicking, adding that investigations were still going on and the culprits would be duly prosecuted according to the law.
