A shawarma vendor has been shot dead by assailants suspected to be cultists at his shop in the Mowo area along the Badagry Expressway, Lagos State.
It was gathered on Thursday that the incident occurred on Wednesday night when the attackers stormed the area and shot the victim dead on the spot.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attack happened around MTN Bus Stop, Mowo, and appeared to be cult-related.
“The victim, said to be a shawarma seller, was reportedly killed in front of his shop by unknown assailants. The incident may be cult-related,” the source said.
An anti-cultism advocacy platform, NaijaConfra, also identified the victim as Afeez, alleging that he was killed by suspected Eiye cultists.
According to the platform, preliminary findings suggested that the attack might have stemmed from a personal dispute between Afeez and a member of a cult group.
“Neutral sources in the community informed NC that they never saw Afeez involved in cultism, but they gave different possible motives behind the attack.
Some residents alleged that an Eiye cultist accused Afeez of having an affair with his wife, while others said the issue might have been business-related after Afeez bought a new car,” the platform wrote.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, said reports indicated that the victim was struck from behind by an unidentified assailant.
“According to reports reaching us, the victim was struck on the back of the head by an unidentified assailant. At this time, we cannot link the incident to any individual or group,” Adebisi said.
She added that police operatives have commenced investigation into the killing.
Cult-related killings have become increasingly frequent in parts of Lagos. In May, suspected cultists reportedly hacked a 28-year-old man, Olanrewaju Ogunyemi, to death in the Ilasamaja area. Similarly, in September, two people were killed during a clash between rival cult groups in Ibeju-Lekki.
The Lagos State Police Command has repeatedly reiterated its commitment to tackling cult-related violence through intensified surveillance and clampdowns on suspected cultists.
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