By Christopher Oji
Gunmen suspected to be cultists, at the weekend, shot dead a policeman, injured others in Ikorodu, Lagos.
The gunmen allegedly escaped with rifles, belonging to the slain officer and his injured colleagues.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, said the police were investigating the matter. The deceased policemen and his colleagues attached to the Imota Divisional Police Station were reportedly on duty at Enuren junction, along Itokin road, last Friday night, when they were attacked by the gunmen.
It was, however, gathered that the police have launched a manhunt for the killer cult members on Saturday, by invading their hideouts in Emuren, a town in the Sagamu Local Government Area of the state.
A witness, Ogunyemi, told Daily Sun that the policemen were taken unawares by the cultists who opened fire on the officers, “the cult members in Emuren have become untouchable.
“They now work for a popular land grabber in Ikorodu. He is using them to commit all sorts of crimes. Now that they have killed a police officer and injured others, let’s see whether the police will deal with the hoodlums and their sponsor.”
The residents of some parts of Ikorodu described the attack on the policemen as a new height to the activities of cult members in Ikorodu and the neighbouring Ogun State.
A resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “Cult members have been on the rampage in recent times in Ikorodu and its environs. About five people have been killed by the cult members, who have become tools for land grabbers.
“These cultists have been traced to Emuren many times in the past, but they have continued to terrorise our people. I learnt that the police went to Emuren on Saturday to look for them.
They should constantly raid the town and flush the criminals out before it is too late.”