I joined cult to feel big, have sense of belonging- arrested policeman's son

Son of a police officer, Sunday Omosuyi who was arrested alongside one Qudus Mustapha, a painter, by the Lagos State Police Command over their alleged involvement in cult activities and the killing of one Taiye Iyanda has said he became a cultist because he wanted to feel big and have a sense of belonging.

Omosuyi, a member of the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, was said to be the son of a police officer attached to A police division in the Ajegunle area of the State.

It was gathered that Iyanda was clubbed to death over an alleged money squabble between the Eiye cult group and OPC members.

The tragedy occurred on Bako Street, in the Ajegunle, Ikorodu area of Lagos.

A source identified as Johnson Jibo, while commenting on the incident affirmed, “In the build up to the general elections, a member of one of the political parties visited the Ajegunle area in Ikorodu and gave out about N200, 000.

“The money was to be shared by the OPC and the Eiye members in the area.

“The two groups were always at each other’s neck in the community and had been having a running battle.

“The OPC members attacked the Eiye members that fateful afternoon. It was when the Eiye members retaliated that Iyanda was killed.”

The case has been lodged at the Owode Onirin Police Division, where the culprit’s mother works.

A manhunt for the killers of Iyanda by the police led to the arrest of Omosuyi and Mustapha, who both confessed to being members of the Eiye Confraternity.

Upon their arrest, both men however denied the knowing each other, and also denied being party to the killing of the deceased.

His words, Omosuyi said, “I am a member of the Eiye Confraternity. I am ashamed of myself because my father is a retired customs officer while my mother is a serving policewoman.

“She had warned me several times that I should stop before I get caught and disgrace the family, but I did not listen.

“But I was not with the people that killed the man.”

The other culprit, Mustapha in his defence disclosed that he became a part of the cult group about one year ago; though he never knew they were into killing, adding that he was aware of the killing of Iyanda but was not involved in hacking him to death.

“On the day Taiye was killed, the OPC members had first attacked us. They returned later in the day and chased us.

“We went to regroup and chased them back, which was how they all ran away.

“There were three of us pursuing Taiye and when we got him, my mates who had cutlasses, started hacking him till he died. I don’t know about it. And I beg for forgiveness,” he said.

While confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, said the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Yaba for further investigation.