Tension has enveloped Atan-Ota, a community in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, following a violent clash suspected to be cult-related that claimed the life of a young man identified as Moses.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, was reportedly linked to an ongoing supremacy battle between rival cult groups that has unsettled parts of the community in recent weeks.
Eyewitness Accounts and Shocking Videos
Residents who spoke on condition of anonymity alleged that Moses was attacked by members of the Aye Confraternity. According to them, the cultists descended on him with dangerous weapons in a show of dominance.
Disturbing videos that surfaced on Monday captured the gruesome attack. In one of the clips, the assailants were seen hacking at Moses’ right wrist with machetes while chanting in Pidgin English, “we are the ones in charge.” The footage showed the victim lying motionless, face down, as his attackers repeatedly struck him with cutlasses.
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Another video revealed Moses’ lifeless body with a mutilated wrist as distraught relatives and neighbours gathered around in grief. Cries of anguish echoed in the background, with one mourner lamenting in Yoruba: “Moses, my God.”
When contacted on Monday, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, CSP Omolola Odutola, confirmed the killing but declined to provide further details, responding briefly: “Yes.”
The killing has deepened fears in Atan-Ota and surrounding areas, where residents say cult clashes have become more frequent.
Community members are now calling on security agencies and the Ogun State Government to intensify efforts to curb the rising menace of cult-related violence, which has claimed several lives across the state in recent years.
As of press time, no arrests had been announced, and the police had yet to release an official statement on steps being taken to restore calm and prevent reprisal attacks.