THREE KILLED AS GUNMEN OPEN FIRE DURING MASQUERADE FESTIVAL IN LAGOS

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Panic erupted in the Orile Iganmu area of Lagos State on Tuesday after suspected rival cultists opened fire during the annual Igunnuko masquerade festival, leaving at least three people dead and several others injured.

According to residents, the incident occurred shortly after the masquerader traditionally known to appear on Tuesdays emerged for the procession. What is typically a ceremonial display involving gunshots fired into the air reportedly turned violent when a suspected cult leader and his gang allegedly directed their weapons toward rival members.

A resident identified as Toyosi told our correspondent on Sunday that three people were shot dead, while an unspecified number of others sustained injuries as participants fled in panic.

“They were supposed to be firing shots behind the masquerader as it moved, but everything changed when some boys and their rivals sighted each other. That was when one of the suspected cultists and his boys started aiming at their rivals,” he said.

Another resident, who declined to be named for security reasons, expressed shock over the violence, noting that the festival is normally observed to promote peace within the community.

“This is very unusual because the festival has always been very peaceful. It is celebrated every year to bring peace and prevent calamity,” he said.

An anti-cultism advocacy group, Naija Confra, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that two of the bodies were left at the scene while one was taken away. The group also alleged that one of the suspected perpetrators, identified as “Babalawo”, a notorious member of the Eiye confraternity, had fled to Ilorin, Kwara State following the incident.

Police spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, could not be reached for comment as calls to her phone were unanswered and a text message had yet to be replied to at the time of filing this report.

Last Thursday, a similar cult-related incident was reported in the Agbarho area of Delta State, where two men were stabbed to death during a suspected clash.

Investigations into the Orile Iganmu incident are expected to begin once authorities officially respond.