Palpable fear has gripped residents of Ilorin, kwara state capital, following rising cases of ritual attack which is gradually spreading to the nooks and crannies of the Islamic town.
In Sabo-Oke area of the town alone, no fewer than seven people were attacked in the last one month while three of them died before good Samaritans could take them to the hospital for the much needed medical attention.
Crime Alert reliably gathered that three people who were returning from their church after a night vigil on a Friday, were at different times, reportedly attacked by suspected ritualists around the same area in the first two weeks of last month.
While two of them, a lady and a middle-aged married woman reportedly died on the spot, the third, an aged woman who was found gasping for breath, with blood spilling out from her mouth very early in the morning by passersby, was quickly rushed to a popular hospital along Lajoorin street, for urgent medical attention but was rejected. She reportedly died shortly after.
Crime Alert checks further revealed that two other people who were reportedly attacked around Kaba area of Sabooke on a Thursday are still on danger list in different private hospitals. This ugly development is already threatening the security of the state capital and causing fear among the residents.
This is just as the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in the state, has called for urgent prayer session to address the untoward development.
Secretary of the assocition in the state, Rev. Emmanuel Fawenu, in a text message sent to members across the state, weekend said, ‘in response to the activities of night marauders attacking people with dangerous weapons, CAN is calling all Christians for prayer convocation on Sunday by 5pm at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Sabo–Oke, Ilorin. Please spread the message.”
Also,worried by these development, the kwara state house of assembly last week passed a resolution, calling on the governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed and the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Peter Gana, to, as a matter of urgency, find a drastic solution to the spate of insecurity in Ilorin metropolis.
The speaker, Hon Abdulrasaq Atunwa while reading the resolution charged the security operatives in the state to rise up to the challenge by ensuring that the situation is brought to normalcy and the culprits brought to book.
A member representing Oke-Ero constituency, Dr Abraham Ashaolu had in a matter of urgent public attention moved the motion, explaining that on October 27th, 2011, around ministry of agric, round about, a Special Assistant to the governor on transport, Prince Deji Oni was attacked by some unknown people, which resulted in his being hospitalized for two weeks.
He added that around the same spot, another young man was murdered and his private part removed. In his own contribution, Hon Suleiman Sunoboro representing Ilesha/Gwanara constituency of Baruten local government of kwara north said that about twenty cases of strange killings and victims being admitted at General hospital, in Baruten have been reported in recent times.
The lawmaker pointed out that the attackers usually use their white handkerchiefs to clean the blood of their victims which they use for ritual purposes.
The latest victim, a theater artist who lived to tell the story of her sordid experience in the hands of ritualists lend credence to the rising cases of such attacks rapidly gaining grounds in Ilorin.
Relieving her experience in an interview with Crime Alert in Ilorin last Sunday, she said,”my name is Ms Yemi Arigbede. I am a member of Association of Nigerian Theater Arts Practitioners. I am also a producer, my film just came out last two weeks and it is titled; Olamide”.
According to her, ”I was coming from Tanke yesterday[last Saturday]when I dropped at Oro Road Junction, around 10.00pm, a man just emerged from a hideout and beat me with a cutlass. I had cuts and blood was oozing out. I managed to run as little as I could, then I was very weak.
The man did not run away immediately. He just went and hid somewhere. As I was shouting for help, one man came out but immediately I shouted again, he ran back. The man that hit me was wearing a black cloth and he is a young man. I saw some cars and cabs and I beckoned on them for help. But they were all moving their way but after a short-while, one man came and assisted me to a nearby hospital.”
She admonished that ,”Government should beef up security because attacks by ritualists is happening in so many places. It even happened few days ago at Agric Junction here. They also hit one man with cutlass. I do not think they are armed robbers. I think they are ritual killers. It appears they are using people’s blood. At the hospital, they stitched my head.”
It was also gathered that one Baba Jacob Igbape who worked at a security outfit was murdered penultimate Sunday at CBN Road while returning from work between 6.00am and 7.00am. The man who lives at Irewole along Asa Dam Road has been buried in Edo State, his home state.
Contacted,the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP, Dabo Ezekiel who confirmed the development said the incidents have been officially reported to the command and that the police had swung into action.
He said police efforts to stop the untoward development, by intensifying security surveillance around Ilorin metropolis have yielded results, as so far, four persons, with clubs, cutlass and other dangerous weapons, have been arrested around ‘A’ Division and Adewole police stations in Ilorin and they have been charged to court.
