Traditionalists have indicated their ‘battle ready’ status in a bid to combat and suppress the deadly badoo cult group whose activities have brought a reign of terror to the residents of Ikorodu.
This comes as law enforcement agencies remain helpless in curbing the killings by the dreaded group in the Ikorodu area of Lagos state.
The cult group is well known for wiping out whole families and using objects such as pestles and rocks to smash open their victims’ heads.
On Wednesday, about a hundred native doctors garbed in white attire gathered at the palace of the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, to express their readiness to combat the group, The PUNCH reports.
Many of them were armed with fetish objects like cow horns tied with red ribbons, chanting war songs.
To kickstart this phase of the “war”, the palace carried out some rituals while residents were advised to stay indoors between 11.30pm on Thursday, June 29 to 5.30am on June 30.
The Oluwo Osugbo of Ikorodu, Chief Adegboyega Adeyeri, who is one of the leaders of the traditionalists in the town, told The PUNCH that they have kick-started the defeat of the Badoo group.
Even though he did not reveal specifics of measures taken, Adeyeri called on all members of the Badoo group to turn themselves in as soon as possible.
He said, “We will not give a specific ultimatum to them like our fore-fathers did in the past but there are no two ways about it, all the evil doers would be caught.
“If the spirit of our fore-fathers are still with us, every member of the group or any other person responsible for killings in Ikorodu would all meet a deadly end soon unless they surrender.
“The steps we have taken would ensure that none of them escapes. When things become as worse as this, the steps we have taken become necessary.
“The killers have done their part by carrying out the killings, now we have taken our own steps and it is time for them to start feeling the sting.”
According to Adeyeri, the members of the group have taken oaths of secrecy, which was why those caught never confessed.
“Part of what we have done is to ensure that anytime one of them is caught, the suspect would surely confess by the power of our fore-fathers. All traditionalists have come together as one on this and this alone is an assurance that we cannot fail. No matter how smart or how devilish they are, we will catch them all,” Adeyeri said.
However, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, said the police are currently working with the military and private security outfits to ensure the safety of residents of Ikorodu and apprehend the criminals behind the killings.