At least six people have been killed in separate attacks in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State amid a fresh wave of suspected cult-related violence, Punch Metro reports.
Five bodies were recovered along the riverbank in the Oreta area of Igbogbo on Wednesday, while a man was gruesomely killed in Bayeku on Tuesday.
According to findings by Punch, the incidents may be linked to an upsurge in cult clashes across parts of the state, which have prompted police to redeploy some divisional heads.
Residents said the Bayeku victim’s wrists and legs were severed, raising fears that the killing may also be tied to land disputes. “Some people believe the incident at Bayeku was unrelated to cultism… The person who died is not a known cultist. Many think it is connected to land grabbing,” a community member told Punch.
In Oreta, five corpses were found on the riverbank, though the circumstances remain unclear. “Some people are saying it was the river that brought the five bodies… but we don’t believe that,” a resident, Adeola, told Punch Metro.
A short video published by Naija Confra, a channel known for exposing cult activities, showed the lifeless bodies by the riverside, including one in a blue hoodie and another in a black-and-white shirt with bloodstains nearby.
Confirming the attacks, the Executive Chairman of Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, Hammed Aroyewun, condemned the violence and promised swift action. “Our people deserve to live in peace and without fear,” he said in a statement, adding that security patrols had been intensified across Baiyeku and neighbouring areas.
This comes just days after three suspected cultists were killed during a festival on Lagos Island.
As of press time, calls and messages to the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, were unanswered.
