Tension gripped parts of Ikorodu, Lagos State, after five bodies were discovered along the Oreta riverbank in Igbogbo on Wednesday, barely a day after another man was gruesomely murdered in Bayeku.
The incidents, which residents say may be linked to rising cult clashes across Lagos, have sparked fear in the affected communities. Police authorities have yet to confirm the exact cause of the deaths.
In Bayeku, a man was attacked on Tuesday in what witnesses described as a brutal killing. His wrist and leg were severed before his body was left at the scene.
Community sources claimed the killing might be connected to a land dispute rather than cult activity.
By Wednesday, five corpses were recovered in Oreta, fueling speculation about a possible connection to cult violence.
While some residents suggested the bodies may have been washed ashore by the river, others expressed doubts.
A resident, Adeola, said police operatives visited the scene but details remained unclear. “Some people are saying the river brought the bodies, but we don’t believe that. The cause of death is still unknown,” he said.
Videos circulated online showed the lifeless bodies lying by the riverside, one clad in a blue hoodie and another in a bloodstained shirt.
Confirming the development, Executive Chairman of Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, Hammed Aroyewun, described the attacks as “painful, unacceptable, and a direct affront to the peace of Baiyeku.” He assured residents that security agencies had intensified patrols and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.
“Our people deserve to live in peace and without fear,” Aroyewun said in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Oluwaseun Ajayi.
The latest killings come days after three suspected cultists were murdered during a festival clash on Lagos Island, highlighting growing insecurity in the state.