Bloodbath was averted in Ilasamaja area of Lagos State, after eagle-eyed Policemen arrested five self- confessed members of Eiye confraternity, who were on revenge mission. Among them was a suspected leader of the Ilasamaja chapter of Eiye confraternity, Ayodele Shotayo, popularly known as AY, who has been on police wanted list. Shotayo and his gang members were alleged to have been responsible for the killing of members of rival cultists in Ilasamaja and its environs. However, in a recent clash between his group and another, one of his members was reportedly killed. Susoects Crime Guard gathered that Shotatyo fled Ilasamaja last year, after he was declared wanted by the police and had since been hiding in Ikorodu area of the state. Police sources said some members of the cult group were sighted in the area before the just celebrated EID-El-Fitri , consequent upon which the Police was informed. Four of them ; Sadiq Jamiu, Oluwatosin Onipede, Gbolahan Adedeji and Sadiq Akinosi, as gathered, were arrested at Gbadamosi street while strategizing on how to strike. Their leader was arrested inside a kiosk at Hassan Street by Anti-Robbery policemen from Ilasamaja division led by the Divisional Police Officer, Oriyomi Oluwasanmi, a woman Superintendent of Police. The suspects were subsequently transferred to the special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, of the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja. Eiye’s day When interviewed, Shotayo who admitted to be the leader of the group revealed that his group’s annual celebration day was July 7, 2016. Investigation by Vanguard revealed that such day was used to avenge killings by rival cult groups. Aware of this fact, members of rival cult groups usually go into hiding to avoid being killed. For instance, there was tension in areas like Ikorodu , Ajegunle , Satellite , Okokomaiko and Ilasamaja during this period. But the Commissioner of Police , Mr Fatai Owoseni, as gathered, directed all Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers in these areas to be on guard by being proactive and nip activities of cultists in the bud. Following intensified patrol of the areas by the policemen, some of the cultists postponed their hit ‘day ‘. But same could not be said of the Ilasamaja chapter of Eiye confraternity which was bent on carrying out an attack on its rivals .Shotayo who was full of remorse, in this interview, wished that the hands of the clock could be turned back in order to retrace his steps. Hear him: “We were on a revenge mission. We were going to avenge the death of one of our members. July 7, 2016 was cultist day, a day when we celebrate and also avenge the killing of our members. Before coming to Ilasa, I was warned that it would be difficult for us to strike because of police 24/7 patrol. But I did not listen. I instructed my boys to go ahead with the planned visit. So, we came to Ilasa two days before the D-day (July 5) to survey the terrain and just when we thought it was safe for us to strike, we were arrested by a police convoy on patrol.” When news of his arrest filtered out, it was greeted with mixed feelings as some of the residents of the area were gripped with fear. More affected were people that live around the street where he was arrested because of their usual reprisal attacks after such incidents. Others, however, heaved sighs of relief praying that his arrest would bring activities of his cult group to a halt in the area. One of them who gave his name as Mathew Iyama said: “The arrest came as a huge relief. It also shows that the Police are proactive. News of the attack has been on for two weeks but nobody knew when they would strike.” Spokes person for the Lagos State Police Command, Dolapo Badmus, a Superintendent of Police , said the suspects has been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad , SARS, Ikeja for further investigation.
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