Four arrested over attempt to assassinate Lagos traditional chief

Four men allegedly on a mission to assassinate a traditional chief, the Bale of Itumara-Ilaje Community, Festus Oladipupo Ajiwololu, in Lagos State are in the custody of the Special Anti-robbery Squad, Ikeja.
The men were apprehended by a vigilante group at the Otto-Ilogbo slum in Ebute-Metta on March 16, 2013.
The vigilante members handed the suspects over to the police at the Iponri Police Station from where they were transferred to SARS.
It was gathered that one of the suspects, identified as Sunday Showemimo, was apprehended with stolen phones and other weapons but members of his gang fled about 12midnight that day.
The suspect during interrogation revealed he was only waiting for instructions from one Sodiq as they had plans for a deadly operation the day he was picked up.
The vigilante members intensified their search and also apprehended Sodiq, one Adeyemi and another man identified as Samson, hours later with guns, stolen handsets and other dangerous items.
Sodiq, during interrogation by the police, confessed that the gang was on a mission to assasinate the Bale for allegedly seizing and selling his father’s house at ItumaraIlaje community.
Sodiq said he was aggrieved over the Bale’s action and he decided to set up a gang to assasinate the Bale but the vigilante group foiled their plans.
Agbodimu Musbau, the Chairman of the Otto-Ilogbo Slum and secretary of the vigilante group, stated that the spate of armed robbery and other vices have increased in the community.
Musbau said this was why they set up a security team to keep watch day and night.
He said: “We decided to partner with police to beef up security in our community as the spate of armed robbery and other vices have increased.
“There have been robberies by a gang called the men in black and these boys have confessed to being members of that gang.
“We are shocked at their confession that they were on a mission to kill the Bale of Itumara.
“We will continue to work with the police to keep our community safe.”
It can be recalled that a 73-year-old white cap traditional chief, the Onimole of Lagos, Pa Kayode Adeshina, was assasinated by gun men in his residence on Lagos Island, Lagos State. in February.
The case is under investigation.