Many, who spoke with New Telegraph Newspaper, did so under the condition of anonymity. They fear reprisal from cultist members in the community.
The residents claimed to know most of those operating in community. They explained that others used to come from far and near, to team up with those in the community to cause mayhem. They further claimed to know where the cultists used to gather in the community for their nocturnal meetings.
While complaining about the frightening cultist activities and resounding gunshots always booming in the community, the residents said that many youths in the community now use hard drugs.
They also disclosed that a large number of youth in the community are becoming homosexuals, lesbians and embracing prostitution.
It should be recalled that this same Gowon Estate, used to be called ‘Kuwait.’ Before, robbers used to be recruited, drugs sold and prostitution reigned supreme in Kuwait. Kuwait was destroyed by a police officer, now retired, and known as Agba. Incidentally, Gowon Estate is a community inhabited by uniform personnel.
A resident said: “Gowon Estate is now the biggest community where cultism thrives. Recently, someone’s skull was slashed open by cult members. A guy, called Opakunle was slashed across his face with a knife by cult members. It happened during a fight between Vikings and Eiye.”
According to the resident, the cult war is concentrated around Block 412, 411 and 401. He noted that there are two popular hotels in the community, where prostitutes, homosexuals and lesbians patronize.
He said: “Once you get to those hotels, you’ll find armed guys. They are usually cult members. In those hotels, you’ll find kids as young as 13 and 14, taking hard drugs. Many of them are gays. You’ll find 14-year-old girls, begging you to sex with them and pay them with codeine. They have become addicted to codeine. The community is no longer safe. We all live in fear. We hear gunshots every night. The older boys in the community are initiating the younger boys into cultism and drug.”
In April, Mr. Courage Onoriode Erhuen, a legal practitioner, revealed how some men in the community started threatening his client, Mr. Marsson Isa Clark, leading to the head of a police sergeant being smashed by a cultist. The attack on the sergeant, Adebayo Ehoda, came after other policemen, who stormed Gowon Estate, to make arrest, were chased away by armed cultists.
The attack on the policemen started after Erhuen’s client, Clark, complained at Gowon Estate Police Station that a cultist threatened to wipe out his family.
Gowon Estate Policemen, acting on Clark’s complaint, came to the estate, intending to arrest some of the men.
The cultists proved too hot for the Gowon Estate Policemen to handle. Clark proceeded to Area M Police Command, Idimu, Lagos State and lodge similar complaint.
On the day New Telegraph went to speak with Clark, he was said to have taken his convulsing child to hospital.
But his lawyer and some residents revealed chilling details of the fright enveloping the community.
It was gathered that Clark’s troubles with the cultists started after one of them, Igor, threatened to kill the entire family of Clark.
A member of the cult group also smashed the head of a police sergeant, Adebayo Ehoda, with a bottle. Ehoda is attached to the Area M Police Command.
After Area M Police Command received petition from Clark, explaining that Igor threatened to kill his entire family members, policemen were immediately detailed to the estate.
Erhuen said: “Policemen from Gowon Estate Police Station went to the community to make arrest, but were chased away by the cult members. My client was forced to take the matter to Area M Police Command.”
When a team of policemen went to arrest the suspects, they allegedly attacked the policemen, leading to the smashing of the head of the sergeant. The policemen were, however, able to arrest Morris Sule 31 and Amos Chibuzor 27.
Erhuen said that his client was threatened by Igor, a Viking member in the estate. Igor allegedly issued the threat in the presence of over 40 people in the community.
The lawyer said that Igor and Clark used to be friends, with Clarks always assisting him financially. Things, however, fell apart, after Igor allegedly joined cultism and started taking hard drugs. Clark withdrew his assistance, leading to friction.
When Igor threatened to kill Clark, his wife and children, the latter ran to report the matter at the Gowon Estate Police Station. When two policemen from the station went to make arrest, the gang members allegedly chased them away with bottlenecks.
Clark went to Area M Police Command, Idimu, to report the matter. When policemen came to arrest some of the gang members, Sule, who was with them, smashed the head of one of the policemen with a bottle. The sergeant was rushed to Igando General Hospital.
Erhuen said: “It was a case of threat to life of my client’s family and business by some cultists operating in Gowon Estate. Two of the cultists were arrested with machetes, while others escaped. Around 7am on Wednesday, within the Gowon Estate, two youngsters were butchered by the same group of cult members. Two cult groups, Vikings and Eiye, have become terrorists within Egbeda community. The police should treat this matter with all seriousness.”
Erhuen further said: “In the process of trying to arrest some of the cultists, one of them smashed the head of a police officer from Area M Police Command with a bottle. This was after the Gowon Estate Police couldn’t arrest them at the initial stage. They broke so many bottles and chased the policemen away. We need the Lagos State Government to come to our aid and ensure protection for residents in Gowon Estate and Egbeda as a whole. My client’s life and that of his family are in danger even as we speak.”
Sule and Chibuzor were arraigned at the Ejigbo Magistrates Court on a five count charge. They were granted bail and the matter was adjourned to May 19.
The arrest and arraignment of the duo didn’t check the cult activities in the community. Attacks and killings were alleged to have continued unabated, while residents live in fear.
The pastor of Open Channels Church in the community, Darlington Ajitemisan said: “Gowon Estate is now a terrifying place to live. A cultist was shot thrice at close range then sliced into pieces by rival cult group last week at Sosanya Street, Egbeda. It happened around 10pm.”
Ajitemisan further noted: “Recently, some policemen from Gowon Estate came to here; they came to raid cult members. They were led by an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP). Last year, three boys were killed; one at Customs blocks area, another at 34, E Close. The third was reportedly buried in the former Kuwait site.”
The pastor explained that cultism crept into the community last year. He stressed that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, was aware of the present insecurity facing the community because he had personally called and discussed the issue with him.
He said: “Drug abuse plays a major role in the life of these cultists. If you don’t kill the drug, you can’t stop cultism. Their normal and habitual drug is Indian hemp. Most of them are graduates, others are drop out. Those that dropped out did so after Raji Fashola increased LASU school fees. And those that graduated can’t get a job. Some of their parents borrowed money to sponsor their university educations. Drug is everywhere. That’s why cultism appears to be taking over the country. There’s also frustration everywhere.”
Ajitemisan, who said he’s connected to cultism in a special way, said all the kids in the community, including the cultists, homosexuals, lesbians and prostitutes are his children. He said he had always counseled those he could find.
His words: “I have told them that cultism and drugs are not solutions to the challenges in their lives. I was a cultist; most of their fathers, who wear uniforms, are also cultists. Most of the cult boys get their guns from their fathers.”
He said that in most of the Community Development Association (CDA) meetings held in Gowon Estate, the topmost discussion is the escalating insecurity.
He noted: “There have been reports of people being slaughtered and injured. The attacks are no longer done at night; it now happens anytime. Parents and other members of the community are trying to liase with the police to stem the tide. The clashes are becoming too much. Our next resolve is to call all the youths and have a meeting with them.”
