Traditional rulers, politicians fingered as sponsors

By VIVIAN ONYEBUKWA and CHIOMA IGBOKWE

The days of reckoning for the mysterious people behind the deadly attacks by ritualists (aka Badoo) that had been terrorising Ikorodu area of Lagos and environs may be here at last, as security agents close in to unmask their identities.

In one fell swoop early this week, a joint operation of the police and vigilance group in the area made 100 arrests, even as residents took it upon themselves to administer jungle justice on suspects.

The special security operation also led to the arrest of another suspect, said to have been caught with charms, black oil and other tools used by the ritualists, while trying to attack a woman in her compound.

The onslaught followed renewed attacks on residents in recent weeks,     which shifted to neighbouring Owode-Onirin-Ajegunle-Mile 12 area, where three girls and their mother were murdered in a local church midweek.

The gang of killers have invaded many homes in Ikorodu area of Lagos, brutally killing and maiming some individuals especially children and elderly persons.

Their recent massacre was the killing of a couple and their children and till date no one can explain who exactly committed that crime. The dreaded gang normally uses heavy stones, mortar and pestle to smash their victims’ heads and club them to death before wiping their brains and blood with pieces of clothes. In some other instances, they use a knife to cut open a pregnant woman’s womb and remove the foetus before escaping into thin air. Usually, at night, they would storm victims’ houses, force down the burglary proof, or climb through the ceiling to enter the living room, rape, maim and brutalise occupants. It was also learnt that sometimes, they would wipe the private parts of their victims with handkerchief, which they use for money rituals, and at other times, they would kill and take the blood of victims for rituals.

Although the community believes that it is the handiwork of a group of boys popularly called ‘Badoo’, security operatives who have not been able to arrest a confirmed suspect hitherto had insisted that Badoo was simply a ‘ghost’.

Although there were many cases of arrests, the police who have little or no evidence are forced to release the suspects. “We have reported cases but no link as to how to find them,” a police officer told Saturday Sun reporters.

We know the people behind the killings – Police

But the tune seems to have changed, as detectives said they had been able to get a clue as to those who were behind the public menace. Police sources said that they were aware of the people behind the dastardly acts and would soon arrest and expose them to the public.

According to a source, investigations revealed that the name Badoo is a nickname adopted by those behind the heinous acts. “They started by jokingly praising themselves as bad boys and gradually became Badoo. It is neither a group nor a cult, rather it is the handiwork of some elders in the community who are ritualists.  It is confirmed that the killings were done for ritual purposes and the traditionalists amongsthem are behind it. It has nothing to do with land grabbers who are on vengeance mission.

“Investigation shows that these criminals normally target children age 4 to 7 and it is common in the outskirts of Ikorodu. They would pick these children and grind them with traditional grinding stone after killing them with a stick before taking whatever part of the body that is needed.

“These pockets of killings have been in existence for so many years and the media never knew about it. At times, it will be reported as a case of missing child or the body of a mutilated child would be found in the forest. At times, the villagers would simply bury the body and continue their daily activities, while some were quietly reported to the police and because there was no eyewitness, the investigating officer would not make any progress in the matter. It became known when nemesis decided to catch up with them, that was why they decided to come to town.

“Their coming to town drew the attention of the media and luckily we made some arrests. The major challenge that we face is that most of the suspects who are under oath will never tell you the truth.  We are making progress and very soon, we will publish the names of all those elders behind all these killings.”

Meanwhile, the mob action by the people has raised hysteria, following the lynching of a popular comedian reportedly caught by the vigilance group earlier this week.

The development has forced the spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Olarinde Famous-Cole, to sue for restraint by Lagosians. He urged them to report cases or any suspect to appropriate authorities rather than resorting to jungle justice. “It is our job to investigate cases and if the judiciary is convinced that such a person should be granted bail, then he will be released. We are seriously investigating and very soon we will arrest the main culprits behind all these killings. I will like to encourage Lagosians to learn to share with the police any information that will help get rid of criminals in the society. The Lagos State Command under the leadership of CP Fatai Owoseni is committed to keeping Lagosians safe.”

Calm after mob action

When Saturday Sun reporters visited Aga area of Ikorodu, which was the scene of the recent incident, the area seemed calm as residents were seen in groups chatting in hushed tones. For every gathering, it was the tale of how they managed to silence the suspected cultist who had unleashed terror on the community.

Recall that residents who were not satisfied with police efforts decided to administer jungle justice on a suspect identified as Vincent Onama. The incident occurred at Oni Ogunsanya Street, near the Olomomeje mosque. Policemen were said to have fired shots to disperse a crowd about to lynch Onama who was believed to be a member of the cult gang, Badoo.

Members of the local vigilance group, Onyabo, caught Onama at 2am while allegedly trying to dispossess and kill a motorcyclist. It was gathered that the vigilance members after interrogating him, locked him inside a room till dawn for proper identification.

But when they went back to the room where he was kept, the suspect had allegedly applied black oil on his body and was attempting to escape through the window, a tactic said to be often used by the notorious Badoo gang.

Describing the incident as long expected, a lawyer Mr Wale (other names withheld for safety reasons) who said that the real reason the activities of Badoo were on the increase due to  the behaviour of security agencies. “It is confirmed that it is as a result of the activities of ritualists among our traditional rulers. I have decided to write a letter to the IGP to try to put an end to the activities of these evil men. There are no Badoo boys, rather it is the work of some old men who are cultists.

“All they do is to recruit young boys and force them to take an oath.  They are the ones who they send out to commit all these atrocities whenever it is time for sacrifice.

I am writing this letter, which I intend to deliver to him personally. I choose to do that because powerful politicians are behind this and they are the ones who normally send lawyers to bail these crooks who were arrested by vigilante men. Although I choose to speak out, I am also afraid for my life and that of my children, that is why the information that I have will be for the Inspector General of Police alone.”

The lawyer, who claimed he was an eyewitness to the lynching of the Badoo suspect, said that the real reason they decided to kill the man was of the behaviour of policemen who were summoned when the suspect was caught. “When policemen arrived, the suspect was so happy that policemen had arrived. He even beckoned on them to come to his rescue. They (policemen) were contemplating on who to arrest the suspect. This is a confirmed criminal, they were not interested in catching a criminal, but an individual who is likely going to pay a lot of money for bail.”

Another traditional ruler who spoke with Saturday Sun reporters pleaded with the police to take their job seriously and fish out those behind these wicked acts.  “We really do not know who these Badoo boys are. The last time the CP visited us, we told him the truth. This does not mean that there are no evil men in the community. I can’t even disclose my identity because I do not know who they are and who will be their next target. They are daring and do not care if they get caught. So far, I have not seen or heard of a real suspect arrested,” he said.

Endless reported cases

According to findings, the killings have spread to communities like Agbowa, Gberigbe, Adamo, Isiu, Aleke with reports of rape and murder by the faceless people.  Among the many reported cases was that of Gberigbe community, a suburb of Ijede, where the gang forcefully entered a home, killed six persons including two-year-old baby, after raping the women among them.

Another house was attacked in Aleke, Adamo by the group, who killed a family of four after raping mother and two daughters to death. Another occurred at Isiu, on Adamo-Imota road where a family of three was also attacked, raped and killed.

Among the surviving victims of this violent group are two minors, Adesewa Adegbite and Marvellous Mba.

Little Adesewa, who is now to go through the second stage of recto vaginal surgery, fell victim of the Badoo boys recently. They inflicted life-threatening injuries on her. The incident took place in her parents’ church at Ibese in Ikorodu area. The assailant had sneaked into the church in the dead of the night while the members, who had just concluded a vigil, were taking a nap. He picked up little Adesewa, who was sleeping beside her parents and ran with her into a nearby school building, where he raped and left the girl almost dead.

Another reported case was the killing of a man, his pregnant wife and child. They were killed in the wee hours at their residence at Radio Area, Erunwen in Ikorodu. The couple, Taofiq and Simiat Agbaje and their dead children, Rodiat, 10, Toyeebat, 8, were hacked to death at their home while asleep. 

Also at Oke Ota community in Ibeshe, suspected ritualists raped and killed a 27-year-old Ghanaian, identified as Obinna. Her nine-month-old baby was rescued by residents in a pool of blood. About a month after, the gang attacked a 60-year-old Francisca and blinded her 10-year-old daughter, Marvellous. Days later, one of the assailants sneaked into a Celestial Church of Christ in Itesiwaju community in a suburb of Ibeshe while a vigil was going on and abducted an eight-year-old girl. He raped the girl to coma, but was caught later that day and set ablaze by a mob.

Saved from Badoo’s hammer by their twins’ cry

Account of a night attack on a couple

By Lawrence Enyoghasu

They were the first and only surviving victims of the dreaded ritualist attacks (Badoo) who have held residents of Ikorodu and environs captives for a long time now.

Although Mr. Olawale Anthony, his wife, Edith and their three children including a set of twins are alive to tell the story, memories of the terrifying nocturnal visit by the criminal cult gang that would have snuffed life out of them, will linger for a long time.

In about 20 cases of attacks which had taken place in the area, Badoo victims were said to have been caught sleeping, allegedly due to a sleep inducing substance cast on them by their attackers.

But, the couple owes their lives and that of the entire family to their twins, whose cries woke the wife in time to behold the intruder and raise the timely alarm that drew the attention of neighbours to their rescue.   

Olawale, a tiller lives with his poor family close to Orija bus stop.

Narrating the events of the night to Saturday Sun, Edith said: “It was on Friday night of the second week in June. I was asleep, but woke up when I heard the cries of my twins. I have never heard them cry at the same time like that. When I rose, I saw someone close to me with a grinding stone. He hit me on my head with it and picked it up to do it again. I started screaming for help. The second time he hit me on my hand, but I dodged the blow the third time. Then I ran outside.

“On my way, I called my husband, but he did not answer, I made for the door seeing that he had been hit. After the man left, I thought my husband had died, but my daughter went inside, checked him and said he was alive, before the students and neighbours ran and took him to the hospital.”

Her husband, Olawale, still being treated at the Lagos Island Hospital, picked the thread of the narration: He said: “On that day, I just finished a job I got on Power Line. When I got home I told my wife that I was going to rest, planning to stay home for a week. I can’t recollect the time I ate. I don’t even know the time she brought the children to me, because I was very tired. It was when I regained consciousness at Lagos Island Hospital that I asked my wife how I got there. I cannot give accurate narration of what happened during the period. I knew I was being moved around, but I had no idea why.”

He added: “I remember when I was in the hospital, some policemen came and said their boss wanted to know if I was still alive, because nobody had survived Badoo attack.”

The Anthonys feed from hand to mouth. This is evident in the squalid state of their yet-to-be completed apartment and their own personal situation. The twins, dressed in torn clothes lay on the bare floor. When one of them cried, their sister gave her water.

Although it was supposed to be a four -bedroom apartment, the wall has absorbed the natural colour of the cement blocks used in building the house. Bamboo littered the house. The room is linked to the kitchen without a door, while the window has enough space to allow a grown up access into the apartment.

Olawale said he started building the house, after he quit his former job with Julius Berger and established his own business. “I did but problems did not allow me to sustain it and it folded up. It was during that period that I started to build this house when the problem started, I moved in here, but I have not been able to finish the building. I am not in contention with anybody over my property. I bought the land in 2003 and started building the following year. This is the 13th year I have been building it. I put one block at a time and fixed the windows and doors myself, I know that if I have a secured place to stay, I would not be attacked,” he said.

The lucky couple glorified God and thanked the people who rallied round and contributed money for their medical treatment. Edith said: “When we rushed him(Olawale) to the hospital, we didn’t have anything in the house. he hadn’t even paid the boys who worked for him on the last job he did. I was mocking him that he didn’t bring anything home. When we got to the hospital, the doctors told us that he was going to do more brain scan, they took us to Ikorodu General hospital and we were also referred to Ikeja General Hospital. During this period, it was the community that was paying the bills. At General Hospital they paid the N50, 000 that allowed him to have the second scan. I am grateful to all who made it possible, but we are calling for help so that it won’t happen again.”