*Govt Sues
For Calm, As Private Schools Send Pupils Home
Trepidation
yesterday gripped residents and members of Lagos border communities within
Ibafo and Mowe axis in Ogun State over alleged news of the incursion of the
dreaded Badoo cult group into the area.
The
situation resulted in many top schools and businesses locking their gates and
doors and, in some instances, turning back pupils, parents and customers who
were ignorant of the news making the rounds in the areas.
The
trepidation came a day after the Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosu held an
emergency meeting with the security chiefs in the state over reports that the
notorious Badoo cult group was planning to infiltrate Ogun State.
The fear was
triggered by fliers going round the communities on Thursday night that the
Badoo group and a rival cult are coming to Mowe on Friday 7/7/2017 to fight due
to an alleged killing that happened around Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society of
Nigeria (NASFAT) area along Lagos /Ibadan Expressway recently.
In the
flier, residents were advised to be security conscious and to relay the
information to their loved ones especially in the evening within Mowe/ Ibafo
axis.
The flier
also alleged that the Badoo group have migrated to Ogun State due to the recent
onslaught and the man-hunt for their members at their base in Ikorodu, Lagos.
A proprietor
of a famous school within the axis, who spoke on the condition of anonymity,
said the school authority took the decision to stop school yesterday and watch
proceedings, in order to safe guard the lives of the children, as they cannot
guarantee their security.
According to
him, since the police cannot guarantee the security of many top schools in
Lagos, how much more the schools in these axis, where there is little or no
government presence.
He stressed
that the recent abduction of six Senior Secondary School students of Lagos
State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, who are yet to be released after several
weeks, is still fresh on their minds and they cannot afford to take chances.
The school
administrator pleaded with the Ogun State Government to come out fast with a
concrete strategy to stamp the cult groups out of the state and not to allow
Ogun communities to become a safe-haven or breeding ground for cult groups.
Meanwhile,
The Guardian noticed the heavy presence of police and security agents within
Ibafo and Mowe axis yesterday, as gun-wielding policemen and other security
apparatus patrolled the highway and the communities.
Reacting to
the situation, Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Dayo
Adeneye, called for calm, stressing that the State is on top of the situation.
He said the
government has increased the presence of security agents in the state to
forestall any threat to lives and property as the state government has always
taken proactive measures to secure the lives and property of its people.
According to
him, the State Government would not fold its arms and watch criminal elements
under whatever guise unleash terror on them and would not want to encourage
jungle justice.
Adeneye
urged residents of the state to remain calm and go about their activities
peacefully, without any apprehension, assuring that all security agencies were
working hand-in-hand to ensure their safety at all times.
It will be
recalled that Ogun State Government recently held an emergency meeting with the
security chiefs in the state over reports that the notorious “Badoo cult group
was planning to infiltrate the State.
The meeting,
which chaired by the State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, had in attendance the
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, security chiefs of
the Army, Police, Department of State Security (DSS) and the Nigeria Security
and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The SSG, who
briefed newsmen after the meeting, warned the group and other criminal groups
to steer clear of the state, saying proactive measures have been put in place
to protect lives and property within the state.
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