Society Gist
Otinosa Williams
Residents of Ikorodu, Lagos State, have been thrown into panic following the discovery of five bodies along the Oreta riverbank in Igbogbo community on Wednesday, just a day after another person was gruesomely murdered in Bayeku.
Investigations suggest the incidents may be tied to the rising wave of cult clashes across Lagos, though locals also fear land-related disputes could be fueling the violence.
Eyewitnesses said the Bayeku victim was killed in a chilling attack where his wrist and leg were severed, while the Oreta case saw five lifeless bodies mysteriously found at the riverside. Videos shared online showed the corpses lying in different positions, one in a blue hoodie facedown, another in a blood-stained black-and-white shirt.
While some residents believe the victims may have been dumped at the riverside, others suspect cult wars spilling into the area. “We don’t think the river carried them here. Something sinister happened,” one community member said.
The shocking discovery drew swift intervention from the Executive Chairman of Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, Hammed Aroyewun, who condemned the killings and vowed that perpetrators would face justice. He assured residents that security patrols have been intensified, stressing: “Our people deserve to live in peace and without fear. We will not tolerate this assault on our community.”
Police authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the incidents, but the Lagos command has recently redeployed divisional heads in response to escalating cult-related violence across the state.
This comes just days after three suspected cultists were gunned down during a festival on Lagos Island, heightening concerns about renewed gang wars across Lagos.
