A 26-year-old artisan identified simply as Timehin has been confirmed dead following a suspected cult initiation in the Awoyaya area of Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos State.
According to sources, the incident occurred on the night of July 18 when suspected rival cultists stormed a secluded initiation site in the bush near UBA bus stop, disrupting the ritual with gunfire. Timehin, who was allegedly undergoing initiation into the cult group, was left behind during the chaos and shot multiple times.
A family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case, confirmed that Timehin left home that evening saying he was going to visit a friend. His lifeless body was discovered the next day in the bush and rushed to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead on arrival.
“We couldn’t stop him because he was an adult,” the family source said. “We later found out he was taken for cult initiation. He was shot in the neck and hand.”
A resident of the area corroborated the account, stating that the body bore visible gunshot wounds and that community members later learned the gathering was a cult initiation disrupted by rival gang members.
Attempts to confirm the incident from the Lagos State Police spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls or messages at the time of filing this report.
This latest incident adds to the rising spate of cult-related killings in Lagos. On July 16, three individuals were hacked to death by suspected cultists in the Ebute Meta area, and in May, another cult clash in Owode Ajegunle claimed the life of a man identified simply as Sparkle.
