Six days after the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, disclosed that a notorious cult member, nicknamed Anarchy, was killed in gun duel with the police, the suspect’s father is now crying foul. The father of the deceased, Pastor Olumide Balogun, alleged a police sergeant mowed down his son in cold blood. But addressing journalists on Wednesday, Owoseni said that policemen killed one of the most notorious cult members, operating in the Bariga area of Lagos State. He said: “Anarchy was killed on Tuesday at Bariga area during a gun duel with policemen. Anarchy’s group was about to engage a rival group in supremacy when scared residents suddenly put a distress call across to the police.”
According to Owoseni, police raced to the scene. On sighting the policemen, Anarchy and some members of his group, rather than take to their heels, engaged the policemen in a gun battle. He added: “Anarchy had been on police wanted list for long. Police responded to a distress call at Bariga. Anarchy engaged policemen in a shootout. One of the cultists was arrested and weapon recovered. Anarchy, however, suffered bullet injury and died on the way to the hospital.” However, Balogun the said Anarchy was never a cult member.
Balogun gave his son’s name as Abiodun Balogun, 33. According to him, Abiodun was shot dead by a police sergeant identified as Adekan Adesola at Ilaje Bariga area of Lagos. He said: “The sergeant trailed and shot my son at the spot where he went to collect Sallah ram from a politician in the community. I was in the church when I received the call that my son had been killed.” The pastor said that Abiodun was a brick moulder and had never been known to belong to any cult group. He added: “Since the day my son was shot, I have been to the Lagos State Command Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) cell to search for my son, but I could not find him. All I was given there was his case file.
The pastor said that Abiodun was a brick moulder and had never been known to belong to any cult group. He added: “Since the day my son was shot, I have been to the Lagos State Command Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) cell to search for my son, but I could not find him. All I was given there was his case file.