A teenage visitor from Delta State, identified simply as Chike, has been shot dead by suspected cultists in the Ikotun area of Lagos.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, has sparked renewed anxiety among residents over persistent violent attacks in parts of the state.
Sources told our correspondent that the victim had accompanied a friend to withdraw cash from a Point-of-Sale outlet when they were intercepted by a group of youths.
An eyewitness, Abiodun, recounted that the attackers briefly engaged the pair before one of them suddenly brought out a firearm and shot the teenager at close range.
“They had just finished at the POS stand when some boys approached them. After a short interaction, one of the boys pulled a gun and shot him,” he said.
The assailants were said to have fled the scene immediately, abandoning the victim in a pool of blood, while his companion escaped unhurt.
The killing reportedly threw the neighbourhood into panic, with a photo from the scene showing the lifeless body of the teenager.
An anti-cultism advocacy group, in a post shared on Monday, linked the attack to cult violence, claiming the victim had attempted to surrender his valuables before he was killed.
According to the group, the deceased, also known as “Ejanla,” lived in Asaba and had travelled to Ikotun to visit a friend.
The platform further alleged that the attackers chanted slogans before and after carrying out the shooting.
Attempts to reach the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, CSP Abimbola Adebisi, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to her phone were not returned as of the time of filing this report.
The development has again brought to the fore concerns over recurring cult-related violence in Lagos communities despite ongoing security operations.
In a similar incident in December 2025, at least one person lost his life during a clash between suspected rival cult groups in the Awoyaya area of the state.