Three killed as cult clash disrupts masquerade festival in Lagos Island

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Violent altercations broke out during a masquerade festival in the Lagos Island region of Lagos State, resulting in the deaths of at least three people.

Although the precise cause of the murders is still unknown, reports indicate that suspected cult members took control of the gathering and transformed it from a cultural festival into a brutal struggle for domination.

According to locals, the violence started soon after the celebration was over and quickly descended into mayhem.

“We had just finished the festival when a fight broke out among some boys suspected to be cultists.

“They started hurling bottles and brandishing weapons. Nobody could intervene, everyone simply ran for safety,” a community member narrated under anonymity.

Videos of alleged cultists shooting heavily along Lagos Street have been making the rounds online. One tape featured a group of attackers viciously beating a victim, while another featured at least five bullets.

Kazeem, another resident, claimed that the disturbances continued late into the night.

“The fight started in the evening and continued until midnight. Many of us couldn’t sleep because of the noise and the destruction,” he recounted.

Social media also took notice of the violence, as the website Naija Confra, which keeps tabs on conflicts involving cults, reported that gangs had taken control of the masquerade celebration and transformed it into an armed conflict.

Following the murders, the Lagos State Police Command declared increased security in the neighborhoods of Lekki, Ajah, Ogombo, Elemoro, and the adjacent environs.

Benjamin Hundeyin, a police spokesperson, said in a statement on Tuesday that the command had deployed the tactical intervention unit Eko Strike Force to crack down on criminal activity and redeployed divisional police personnel to restore order.

Hundeyin said: “The Lagos State Police Command has commenced a discreet investigation into the unfortunate incident that occurred on Sunday in Lekki Phase 1, where a clash between rival cult groups resulted in three deaths.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, personally mobilised to the scene with joint police teams to ensure swift response.”

He stated that some arrests had resulted from the deployment of recently formed tactical and anti-cultism squads under Elemoro Area Command.

According to reports, 23 persons connected to the incident were arrested as a result of raids conducted in various areas of Lekki.

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