Worried by the spate of cultism and killing among youths in their community, Mafoluku Youths organised a peaceful rally against cultism, cult-related killings and violence among its youths.
The rally, according to its coordinator, Ahmed Jisoro, is aimed at sensitising Mafoluku youths and by extension Oshodi-Isolo on the dangers of cultism and violence and its disastrous effect on the community.
Jisoro disclosed that between January and October 2023, over 30 youths have been killed by cultists.
He said, “Cultists are fast turning Mafoluku into an abattoir. Oshodi is a once peaceful and united community but the community is gradually turning into a cultists’ den.
Cultists are fast turning our community into a battlefield. This is what informed the intervention of a prominent son of Oshodi and a major stakeholder, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya to quell the disturbing trend.
Alhaji Akinsanya invited us to a peace meeting and instructed us to hold this rally to sensitise the youths on the dangers of cultism and the rewards for such inhuman acts.
We don’t want the police to be releasing cultists on bail. Cultists should be prosecuted and sentenced to jail. I am one of the coordinators of OPC, we frown at cultism and this rally is intended to serve as a warning to cultists to stop cultism.”
Chairman, State chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya who was represented at the rally by one of the elders in Mafoluku community, Alhaji Nurudeen Adedunmoye, commended the youths for putting their energy to positive use to ending cultism, killings and violence among youths in Mafoluku and Oshodi-Isolo.
He tasked the youths on the need to end cultism and other forms of violence and insecurity in Oshodi Isolo, adding that businesses thrive in an atmosphere of peace and harmonious living.
“Life is sacred and should be protected. Cultism is evil and destructive and must be eradicated in Oshodi-Isolo” he said.
One of the participants at the rally, Wale Daroso said, “Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya and the council chairman, Otunba Almaroof Oloyede have told us to stop cultism and killing of any kind among the youths. We don’t want cultism and any form of violence in Mafoluku Oshodi.
No more spilling of blood and wasting of sacred and precious lives. We are one in Mafoluku and henceforth, anyone that is caught indulging in cultism and anti-social vices will face the wrath of the law.”
Elder Wasiu Nofiu expressed his displeasure over increasing rate of cultism and killings among the youths.
He said, “We are worried by the increasing spate of violence and killings among the youths. This prompted me and other elders in Mafoluku community to hold a strategic meeting and with the approval of an illustrious son of Oshodi land, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya, we decided to hold this peaceful rally to sensitize the youths on the dangers of cultism and its adverse effects on businesses, and peaceful coexistence in Oshodi Isolo.
We have come to realise that those that are behind the violence are outsiders. They are non-native of Oshodi land. When they fight outside, they come into Oshodi to continue their senseless fight but now we are bent on stopping and going after any cultist.”
Olalekan Olojo blamed the police for not prosecuting cultists that were arrested, adding, “The entire Mafoluku community has been held by the jugular by cultists. And we are there watching helplessly.
The police are not helping the matter. Whenever they arrest suspected cultists instead of prosecuting them they end up releasing them and they return to the community to continue their dangerous activities.”
Kolawole Dada said “Cultism has been happening and we fold our arms helplessly. The spate of cultism is attaining an alarming height that cultists now operate freely killing and dismembering parts of their victims, we felt this must stop.
So we have had the approval of Alhaji Akinsanya and Otunba Almaroof Oloyede to hold any cultist and hand him over to the police for trial.”
Meanwhile, chairman of Oshodi-Isolo local government area, Otunba Kehinde Almaroof Oloyede has expressed his administration’s readiness to set up a local vigilante group.
The vigilance group, according to him, is to assist the security agencies in curbing the menace of cultism and cult clashes within the local government.
He said, “Creating a vigilante group would be in addition to other security measures put in place by the local government. The vigilante group will be registered and will be well equipped with vehicles and other security gadgets to aid their smooth operations and make the local government safer.”
. TheWitness
