Cultists shot soldiers during mop-up operation to rid Lagos of vandals, cultists, impersonators

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Maj Gen Enobong Udoh said at Ikorodu on Saturday while parading 37 suspected pipeline vandals, cultists and impostors who had impersonated personnel of the Nigerian Army.

Represented by the Commander, 9 Brigade, Ikeja Cantonment, Brig Gen Moundhey Ali said that in continuation of the crackdown on criminal elements and cultists in and around Lagos and Ogun states, the troops arrested 23 suspected cultists in the Eginrin Depression area of Ikorodu.

Among those paraded included 23 cult members belonging to Eiye Confraternity, two of whom were seriously injured while one was said to have died during his initiation ceremony; six fake soldiers with two of them dismissed regiments and eight pipeline vandals.

According to Brig Gen Ali who spoke to a cross section of journalists at the 174 Battalion, Odoginyon in Ikorodu reiterated that “On the 16 April 2018, over 50 suspected cultists from “Eiye” confraternity were conducting physical training for new recruits, initiation and planning of robbery and kidnap activities were swooped at after an intensive surveillance and intelligence report uncovered the locations and activities of the cult group.

“Their arrest was preceded by shootout between the troops of 174 Battalion Ikorodu and the cultists after which, 23 of the suspected cultists were arrested while others escaped. Two of the suspects sustained varying degrees of gunshots wounds, one of the suspected newly recruited cultist died as a result of injuries inflicted on him during the initiation.”

He also explained that during the operation, a soldier sustained gunshot wound fired by the cultists on his left leg but was recuperating at a military medical facility.
Gen Ali noted that the soldier and the two wounded cultists were receiving treatment at the Battalion’s Medical Reception Station.

The pipeline vandals were identified as Muftau Saliu; Segun Oladipupo; Akeem Adeniyi; Bukola Adepoju; Wasiu Jamiu; Abiodun Akindode; Azeez Ibrahim and Matthew Obiore Gbeyen.

The suspects who impersonated military personnel were said to have been arrested by troops of 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala Barracks, Abeokuta; 174 Battalion, Odoginyon Ikorodu and 9 Brigade, Ikeja Cantonment during “Operation Checkmate.”

They included Taiwo Ayomide, who was arrested at Ademola Hotel beside Yasmin Mosque, Sagamu, while dressed in military camouflage and extorting money from citizens.

Others included Bello Kasimu, a dismissed soldier arrested at Flower General area in Ikorodu; Ale Victor Michael of No 3 Tony Marshall Street, Ajasakoma, Ipaja; Adetileyin Segun of Block 2 flat 1 Camp 3; Olarewaju Yusuf of No 5 Idowu close, Ojo Alaba road, Lagos; Ibrahim Isa (aka Malaika), who claimed to be a soldier and Ibrahim Abdullahi, a dismissed soldier. They were all arrested terrorising, assaulting and extorting unsuspected citizens while impersonating as serving soldiers of the Nigerian Army.

It was further gathered that military accoutrements recovered from the suspects included two Nigerian army camouflage T-shirts and caps, one Nigerian Army Badge, one Royal Ranger identity card, one Lieutenant rank and two Nigerian Army Letters of Recommendation, Court affidavit, ATM card, a brown envelope, green beret and belt.

It was gathered revealed by the Commander that preliminary investigation has begun while the suspects would be handed over to the Nigerian Police for prosecution.

Brig Gen Ali further added that the vandals have been operating by tapping pipelines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) along Imoro Creek in Imagbon area of Ikorodu, a practice he attributed to have insider collaboration considering the brazen nature of their operation.

During the operation, the suspected vandals were said to have attacked army personnel with AK 47 rifle but suppressed them and recovered one wooden boot, 40 empty 50 litres jerry cans and a 1000m long laid hose.
It was also learnt that an anti-bunkering patrol from the battalion along Imoro Creek in Ikorodu discovered a sabotaged points of NNPC pipeline which led to eight vandals arrested with 10 vehicles (seven saloon cars, two wagons and 1 J5 Ford bus) 31 jerry cans loaded with refined products, 77 empty cans, three coolers, nine mobile phones and substances suspected to be hard drugs. In addition, 1,320 jerry cans were also discovered and destroyed during the operation.

One of the vandals, Matthew Babatunde Iregbeneisa accepted he participated in vandalising NNPC pipelines at Arepo about three years ago but repented after he escaped from the military onslaught on vandals.

However, Matthew claimed that he knew nothing about the vandalism that led to his arrest adding that he was implicated by Baale Taju of Okobuki Pakisha land because he challenged the traditional ruler of selling part of his two plots of land.

“Yes, three years ago, I was a vandal but repented after the military swooped on Arepo and dislodged them. The baale was also a vandal. I was not caught with anything but arrested in my house with a friend. They arrested and took me to the bush where the jerry cans were found. I knew nothing about the recent vandalism. The Baale implicated me because he sold my land.

“I have stopped anything illegal since the police arrested me twice before and kept in their cell for four weeks. The Baale is a criminal and vandal. He scooped fuel and sold.

“Since Arepo was raided, I have been working as a motorbike rider and bricklayer.

Asked while the Baale roped him in, the suspect revealed that “the Baale sold half plot of my two plots which I kicked against.”   he warned every criminally minded persons to shun crimes and embrace other vocations but admonished “land grabbers who deliberately contract the services of impostors (fake military men) across the state to forcefully take over plots of land that do not belong to them” to stop or be ready to face the law.

“Not every military uniform you see wearing our uniform are military personnel. You must be wary. Operation CHECKMATE received a tip-off from some concerned residents that some soldiers who accompanied one of the parties in a land dispute were beating up the other party in the dispute and causing pandemonium in the general area hence we immediately responded and arrested six of the alleged military personnel involved, all dressed in military camouflage uniform but investigation revealed that all the soldiers involved, turned out to be impostors and were accordingly handed over to the Nigeria Police for further investigation and prosecution,” he reiterated.

Gen Ali added, “most of the people in military uniform that were arrested by the crack team of Operation CHECKMATE while extorting innocent citizens, interfering in land disputes, perpetrating one criminal act or the other. They are impostors and are unduly and deliberately tarnishing the good image of the Nigerian Army by committing such crimes creating the false impression that such criminal acts were being perpetrated by soldiers.”

The Commander while thanking members of the public and particularly the press for availing them of useful information urged them to continue to assist them with useful information that would lead to bringing the activities of criminals to a stop in its area of jurisdiction.