Two suspected members of rival cult groups have been killed in a fresh outbreak of violence in the Ojo area of Lagos State.
The incidents, which reportedly occurred on Sunday at different locations within the community, are believed to be connected to ongoing reprisals between opposing factions.
A community source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter, said the victims were discovered with gunshot wounds and later evacuated by security operatives.
“Two bodies were found in separate parts of the area on Sunday, both with gunshot injuries. We gathered that the attacks were carried out by suspected cult members, likely as retaliation by rival groups. The police later removed the bodies,” the source said.
An anti-cultism advocacy platform, Confra Naija, alleged in a post on X that one of the victims, identified simply as Monday, was a former chairman of the Neo Black Movement at Alaba International Market and was regarded in some quarters as a long-standing leader of the Aye confraternity in the area.
The platform claimed Monday had been targeted by rival groups for some time, noting that one of his associates, also described as a former Aye leader, was killed in March last year.
According to the group, the second victim, Efe, was also an alleged leader of the Neo Black Movement in Ojo, though he was said not to have been frequently active in the locality. He was reportedly attacked while charging his phone during a power outage when suspected members of a rival faction confronted him.
Videos circulating on social media showed one of the victims lying inside what appeared to be an electronics shop, while another clip captured a man lying motionless with apparent gunshot wounds.
As of the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident. Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, for confirmation were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages were not answered.