A 26-year-old artisan, identified simply as Timehin, has been killed during an alleged cult initiation in the Awoyaya area of Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos State.
The incident reportedly occurred on July 18, when suspected members of a rival cult group attacked the initiation site located in a nearby bush.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Timehin had been taken to the area late in the evening to be inducted into the cult group.
However, not long after the initiation rites began, gunmen believed to be members of a rival cult stormed the location and opened fire.
In the chaos that followed, the initiators fled, leaving Timehin behind. He was reportedly shot and killed during the attack.
A family member, who spoke to PUNCH Metro on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case, confirmed the incident.
According to the relative, Timehin had told his family he was going to visit a friend that evening.
The next day, the family was alerted to the discovery of a lifeless body in a bush near the UBA bus stop in Awoyaya.
“When we got there, we were shocked to find out it was him,” the source said. “We rushed him to the hospital hoping he could be revived, but he was confirmed dead on arrival.”
Another community source familiar with the incident stated that Timehin sustained gunshot wounds to the neck and hand. “We later found out he was taken there for cult initiation, although we haven’t received official confirmation from the police,” the source added.
Efforts to reach the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, for comment were unsuccessful, as phone calls went unanswered and a text message sent to him had not been responded to at the time of filing this report.
This incident comes amid a series of cult-related violence in Lagos.
On July 16, three men identified as Agbara, Butcher, and an unidentified plumber were hacked to death by suspected cultists in the Ebute Meta area of the state. One of the victims was reportedly found with machete wounds in the Lagos Street area of the community.
Similarly, in May, a violent clash between rival cult groups in Owode Ajegunle claimed the life of a man identified only as Sparkle.
Sources said the confrontation began during a revenge mission and quickly escalated into a fatal encounter.