Twenty-two-year-old nabbed for cult war murder

A suspected gang member, 22-year-old Azeez Oye, has been arrested by the police in connection with the murder of another suspected gang member.

Oye is currently being quizzed at the Department of Criminal Investigation of the Lagos State Police Command, Yaba, Lagos,

Even though he continues to deny any hand in the murder, the police believe he is a member of a group that killed a yet to be identified man in the tipper garage area of Ajah in Lagos.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that the suspect is a member of a faction of Alora gang based in Awoyaya Branch.

The Awoyaya faction had allegedly been locked in a leadership tussle with the faction of the same gang based in Ajah area, which has resulted in a number of clashes.

Police investigators said on August 13, 2015 members of the Awoyaya faction mounted an attack on the Ajah faction, killing the victim in the process.

A police source familiar with the case said Oye ran into the market to seek refuge when police stormed the area during the clash but he was apprehended by the police after traders raised the alarm.

Found in his possession were bullet cartridges, which he claimed belonged to one late Femi.

Oye said, “Yes I am a cultist. I was initiated into the Alora Cult Group (a.k.a. Fine Boy) on May 22 this year. It was late Femi, a senior friend that persuaded me to join the cult group.

“Shortly after I joined, there was problem over leadership between those of us at Awoyaya branch and those at the Ajah branch.

“The day of the clash, I left my mother’s house in Ijebu for Ajah, where I had just got a space to expand my barbecue business. I called one of my friends, Idris, who is also an Alora member as I left Ijebu. He then said I should come with the cartridges I had got from Femi who is late now.

“He did not tell me what he wanted to use it for. It was while we were discussing on phone that he also told me that one Korede who belongs to the Ajah faction attacked him with some boys and snatched his bag.
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“When I got to Ajah, I had to walk down to Ajah roundabout to meet Idris. While I was there waiting, I saw another friend, Korede. I called him but he refused to answer me.

“He crossed over to the other side of the road and walked away. A moment later, some men walked towards me from the same direction he crossed to. They manhandled me and took away my wallet. I tried to escape and ran into the market to one Alfa’s shop. While I was there, the bullets in my pocket fell off.”

Oye explained that the traders at the market then caught him. After searching him, they gave him a beating of his life. He said when they asked him if he was a cult, he admitted it but that his own cult does not kill.

“They asked for my gun and I told them I had none. They said I had thrown the gun away. They called the police and I was arrested,” he said.

He was reportedly detained at the Ajiwe Police Division. According to him, he was surprised to be brought out of the cell on August 15, only to be told that someone had been shot dead at the tipper garage the day he was arrested.

“I told the police I knew nothing about the murder. Although I once paid N8,000 to Femi to acquire a gun but he did not give me the gun until his death.

The police have said efforts are still on to arrest other members of the gang who are presently at large.