The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed that the five corpses found along the Oreta riverbank in Igbogbo, Ikorodu Local Government Area, on Wednesday were victims of a cult-related attack, PUNCH Metro reports.
Residents were thrown into panic after discovering the lifeless bodies of young men by the riverside. A short video clip seen by PUNCH Metro showed some of the victims, including one in a blue hoodie facedown and another in a black-and-white shirt with bloodstains nearby.
According to the command, the killings add to a series of cult-related incidents across Lagos, with over 26 suspects arrested so far.
Speaking exclusively to PUNCH Metro on Saturday, the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, said new security interventions had been deployed to Ikorodu and other flashpoints.
“That is why we are investigating. We recovered the bodies and sent scene-of-crime experts to the place. The team has briefed me, and we have given more directives on areas to touch. We will make the outcome of the investigation public,” Jimoh said.
The commissioner noted that dedicated anti-cultism units had been set up in all area commands and a central squad at the command headquarters to curb cult clashes.
“Parents and guardians must advise their children to stay away from cultism. We have controlled the situation in the last two days through constant patrol of all areas,” he added.
Jimoh also revealed that specialised forces had been deployed to coastal areas like Lekki to maintain peace.
“The five bodies we recovered are linked to cultism. We have made more arrests and will continue to clamp down on perpetrators,” he said.
This latest attack in Oreta occurred just a day after a man was gruesomely killed in Bayeku, another community in Ikorodu.
The Executive Chairman of Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, Hammed Aroyewun, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Oluwaseun Ajayi, described the incident as shocking and assured residents of intensified patrols.
Earlier in the week, three suspected cultists were also killed during a festival on Lagos Island, adding to growing concerns over cult violence in the state.
