Underground ritualists’ den uncovered on Lagos/Abeokuta highway
THERE was confusion, on Tuesday, at the popular Ajala Bus Stop, Ijaiye area, on the Lagos-Abeokuta highway, in Lagos, as residents uncovered an underground ritualists’ den in the area.
The identified entrances to the den were through drainages and water channels, which, according to one of the arrested suspects, led to many places.
Some of the eyewitnesses also said the ritualists might have been operating for a long time, following a near-death experience of a lodger, who had come to stay at a hotel near the scene of the discovery.
As of Tuesday evening, the tension in the area was high, as mob, some of them brandishing weapons, threatened to burn more suspected members of the gang.
Two suspected members of the gang were set ablaze by the mob that defied the presence of policemen and soldiers.
Five other suspected members of the gang were arrested and taken away by soldiers and policemen.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that early on Tuesday, the gang had dragged a yet-to-be identified woman and her daughter into one of the enclaves in the den.
An eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Dapo, narrated that “very early this morning, they attacked a woman and her daughter and dragged them into the canal.
“A street sweeper heard the distressed voices and quickly ran to some area boys, who had gathered around the Sawmill, near Ajala Bus Stop,” he said.
He added that the area boys mobilised and followed the street sweeper to where the distressed call was heard but none of them could go into the dark tunnel.
According to him, it was at that point that some soldiers, driving on the expressway stopped on sighting them to inquire what was happening.
“The soldiers and the area boys, after some failed efforts, choked the underground den with fire and one of the suspects attempted to escape through another entrance but was arrested,” he said.
A woman who pleaded anonymity also narrated that “the first person that came out wanted to escape through another entrance near that bank {pointing at a branch of a new generation bank} but he was arrested.”
She added that it was the way the suspect was addressing the crowd who had continued to surge that made the mob went wild, leading to his lynching before he was eventually set ablaze.
Another eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Oguniran, said: “I live at Ijaiye but I stop at Ajala Bus Stop to take a bike to my house. This place is always deserted late in the night and early in the morning.”
He said the second suspects actually challenged the mob to kill him.
Apart from the two burnt suspects, two others were choked out of the den but were prevented from being lyched by policemen and soldiers who took them away amid heavy protest from the mob.
The image maker in charge of the state police command, Olarinde Famous Cole, confirmed “an incident” around the area and added that “the Lagos State police command is on ground at the scene of the discovery.”
When asked to confirm the arrest of two suspects, Famous Cole simply said “we are still on ground. We will get back to you officially.”
Meanwhile, residents of communities in the area have called on the Lagos State government to investigate owners of businesses in the area.
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