A man identified simply as Seyi has been killed by suspected cultists who allegedly mistook him for a member of a rival group at Ijako Market in Owode-Ijako, Ogun State.
The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday, September 23, when suspected cult members stormed the area in search of another man identified as Dammy. A police source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, told Punch the attackers arrived at a location behind the market and opened fire on Seyi.
“We got a report that the incident happened just behind the market. Some boys came to the market looking for a certain target. They got to the spot where the boys were, and they shot the victim,” the source said. The source also said the incident was believed to be connected to the drug trade, adding that police had begun investigating the killing and were working to identify and arrest those responsible.
An anti-cultism advocacy platform, Naija Confra, separately alleged that the attackers had been searching for Dammy when Seyi was killed. The group claimed Seyi was also attacked with an axe after being shot. “It was reported that as soon as the NBM attackers arrived, they echoed ‘Aye Axemen’ and mentioned Dammy’s name before someone was killed,” the platform said. “People initially thought it was Dammy who had been killed until they saw the body and realised it was Seyi.”