A 28-year-old man, Olanrewaju Ogunyemi, was brutally hacked to death by suspected cultists in the Ilasamaja area of Lagos State on the evening of Wednesday, May 21.
According to residents, a gang of machete-wielding men believed to be cult members stormed the community searching for Olanrewaju’s elder brother.
Unable to find him at home, they tracked him to his workshop on Abeokuta Street, where they encountered Olanrewaju, who was guarding the premises.
A local resident, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said the attackers attacked Olanrewaju without warning, inflicting severe machete wounds to his face, back, and hands. The victim reportedly died instantly at the scene.
“The attackers came to the house first but didn’t find the elder brother.
They then went to the furniture shop, where they found Olanrewaju and attacked him mercilessly,” the resident said.
The assailants fled before help could arrive, leaving Olanrewaju’s lifeless body in a pool of blood.
The community remains in shock over the violent incident.
Olanrewaju, who usually stayed at the shop when his brother was away, was buried on Thursday. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the elder brother remain unknown.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident, stating, “Olanrewaju Ogunyemi was killed around 7:45 pm at his furniture shop.
He sustained machete wounds on his face, head, back, and hand, and died instantly.”
In a separate but related incident, a popular shawarma vendor known as Benjamin, owner of Chibest Shawarma in Ebutte-Ipakodo, Ikorodu, was also killed by suspected cultists on Tuesday night.
Eyewitnesses reported that Benjamin was attacked while serving customers around 8:30 p.m. at his roadside stall.
Following a series of cult-related killings, the Lagos State Police Command arrested eight suspects in the Yaba area on April 29, 2025, in an intelligence-driven operation.