Kunle ADELABU
-Candle procession banned in the Council
It would no longer be business as usual for cultists and other criminals in Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) as the council’s Chairman, Comrade Sesan Daini, led the traditional institution, police and other security agencies in reading riot act to the people engaging in violent acts.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on Security, Environment and 2019 Budget of the Council held at ICT Centre Igbogbo, on Thursday, December 13, 2018, the council chairman stated that “enough is enough”.
This is coming on the heel of violent engagement by two cult groups in Igbogbo which led to the brutal killing of about six members of Eiye Confraternity, also known as the Airlords, and Aiye which is also called Axe men.
THE IMPACT gathered that the recent violence incident broke out on Saturday, December 8, 2018, after the killing of a member of the ‘Aye’ Confraternity, popularly known as ‘Ronaldo’, at Igbe-Afa in Igbogbo. It was, however, gathered that members of the ‘Aye’ Confraternity felt that his brutal killing was carried out by the members of the ‘Eiye’ cult group.
It was also gathered that members of the ‘Aye’ cult group felt that the alleged murder of its member by the ‘Eiye’ cult group was against the reconciliation brokered by the Onyabo Vigilance Group led by Mr Lanre Olabinjo across Ikorodu division with the backing of the traditional institutions and supported by the Lagos State Police Command.
Many arms and ammunitions were surrendered while hundreds of members of various cult groups across Ikorodu division also openly denounced their membership during the reconciliation move.
Reliable sources among residents and security personnel also informed our reporter that members of the ‘Aye’ cult group acted without finding out the real killers of one of their own.
“Enough is enough. We shall leave no stone unturned in apprehending those that unleashed the recent violence on our community and bring them to book” , the Council Chairman warned.
“Those that are involved in secret cult, unholy activities and other criminal acts from now on will be dealt with. They have no place again in our community.
“We have competent security personnel that are ready to deal with the situation before now, but because we have been engaging them in dialogue and reconciliation in order to fully rehabilitate them, that is why our security operatives have not come down hard on them but now is the time to act.
“We are going to make those that are apprehended serve as serious deterrent to others. Those apprehended shall be made to face justice and if found wanting, served the required jail term.
Comrade Daini, while reacting to the information at his disposal that some friends of the victims of the brutal clash are planning to stage candle light procession to honour them, announced that such gathering is outlawed.
“We have gathered that some people are planning candle light procession in the town, let me use this medium to inform such people that henceforth, there shall be no candle light procession in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA until further notice.”
He also announced that some areas in Igbogbo have been marked as notorious areas and warned youths to behave themselves in proper manner.
“Let me also informed you that we have marked some areas in our community as notorious areas. I want to sound a note of warning to all youths and their parents to ensure that they behave in ways that portray them as good ambassadors of our community and not as criminals because we are ready to deal with those criminal actors.”
As part of the council’s plans to support the police and local vigilance group in discharging their duties and achieving there aims, Comrade Daini announced that the council shall donate two patrol vehicles for the Police Station along Igbogbo Road and another one for the Onyabo Vigilance Group.
His Royal Majesty, Oba Semiudeen Kasali, the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, while speaking at the meeting, called on the security personnel and parents to live up to their billings.
The traditional ruler was represented by the Odofin of Igbogbo, High Chief Tajudeen Alade Duduyemi Onasanya.
“The traditional rulers and chiefs are saddled with the responsibilities of protecting the traditional and cultural values, but we also understand that we have a duty to ensure that peace and security reign in our communities.
“In that regard, we have been ensuring that all that are required traditionally are done and also, we have been assisting the government and security personnel to beam searchlight on the activities of these cultists and other criminals in the community.”
The monarch expressed disappointment over the failure of the government and security personnel to bring known cultists to book.
“We have also ensured that some of these guys are reported to the appropriate authorities but there has been no response. We cannot continue to hold the traditional institution responsible for the activities of the cultists and other criminals because we can only give useful information to the police and not to assume the role of the police in apprehending them.
“The government and security personnel should be alive to there respective responsibilities.
“We also want parents to be responsible for their children’s conducts. Parents should monitor and supervise their children and wards. That is the only way to curb their excesses”, he charged.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ikorodu Divisional Headquarters, CSP Ifeanyi Ohuorogo, in his own reaction, called for effective community policing in combating crime and criminalities of any form.
“There is need to improve on our community policing system which is the concept that is being embraced globally.
“It deals with discussion, resolution, arbitration, reconciliation and compromise.
“The best way to tackle insecurity is by involving the community.
He stated that the Police, in their efforts to combat cultism and other criminalities in Ikorodu division, have been partnering with Onyabo Vigilance Group, Agbekoya, Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and others.
CSP Ohuorogo, while stating that he has been going round Ikorodu division to preach the tenets of community policing and expecting cooperation from the members of various communities across the division, expressed his disappointment that some members of the community are conniving and harbouring some of these cultists and other criminal elements.
“It would no longer be business as usual as the chairman have stated. Very soon, we shall start inviting some chiefs, community leaders and parents to answer questions on what they know about some criminals”, he revealed.
“Some members of the community are sabotaging our efforts. Some of these people are in the know about how some of these criminal elements come into the community through water while they also assist them in escaping via same channel after committing crimes.
“Now, we are going all out for them. We shall be working with the MOPOL, Onyabo, Civil Defence and others to put a stop to these criminal activities.
The Commander in-charge of MOPOL 63 in Igbogbo, Mr Wale Ogunshola, while also speaking, stated:
“Since the chairman has read the riot act, we are no longer going to tolerate any form of criminalities”.
Also contributing, the Commander of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) blamed the leadership of the Community Development Associations (CDAs) for the insecurity in Igbogbo.
He stated that most landlords are concerned with economic gains from rents and care little about the characters of those that are coming to them to rent apartments in their houses.
Also at the meeting were members of the representatives of LNSC, Onyabo Vigilance Group, Community Development Associations, Road Unions, Market representatives, political leaders, religious leaders among others.
