Police Officer, Five Others Die In Ogun Violent Cult Clash

LAGOS APRIL 10TH (NEWRANGERS)-A clash between suspected members of rival cult groups has claimed no fewer than six persons including an Inspector of Nigeria Police.
Two persons were gunned down on Sunday while four others, including a bricklayer and the police officer were killed on Monday.
The gun battle which began about 5:30p.m on Sunday at Oke-Sopen road leading to Station bus stop, spilled into Oke-Agbo area and Ojowo, with gunshot booming intermittently all through the night and escalated in the early hours of Monday.
The attack which led many sustaining various degrees of injuries, it was gathered, started immediately after senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Buruji Kashamu’s ‘thank you visit’ to Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.
A police source which spoke with our correspondent revealed that the pandemonium started during a clash between men of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) and some members of a cult group, Aiye Confraternity.
The pandemonium, it was gathered, led to the death of one OPC member and another member of the cult group.
Abimbola Oyeyemi, state Police Public Relations Officer, who confirmed the incident told our correspondent that the area commander of Ijebu Igbo was immediately directed by the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, to mobilise and bring the situation under control.
Oyeyemi explained that the team was on a routine patrol in the early hours of Monday when they were ambushed by the suspected cult members, who opened fire on them, killing one on the spot while another officer was said to have sustained gun injury.
The situation, it was further gathered, threw the whole community into confusion as residents and visitors scampered to safety in fear while some were caught in the crossfire.
A source in Ijebu-Igbo told journalists that three persons believed to be members of the same family were killed in front of their father’s house in Ojowo, another killed near the Amazing Graze Petroleum Station while two others were shot dead at Odobalogun, all in Ijebu-Igbo town.
The PPRO said all the units of the state police command including Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS), Anti-cult unit, Anti-Riot Policemen and regular armed policemen have all been deployed to the area to restore order.
Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), added that the men had enforced normalcy and advised residents not to panic.
The police further confirmed that 29 suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the crisis while a pump action gun and a locally made pistol have been recovered from some of the suspects.
Oyeyemi assured that the men of the command are fully on group hunting for more suspects that are connected with the killings.

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