some suspected cultists have abducted a former leader of their group, Godwin Victor, aka Sangba, in the Akoka area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered from family sources that Sangba was kidnapped by cultists, who were his friends and members of the gang he once led.
The gang members were said to have been displeased with his decision to quit the group and embrace normal life.
Sangba reportedly left the group due to constant harassment by the police and for safety concerns.
Our correspondents were told that the 30-year-old Akwa Ibom indigene had recently returned to the community from Port Harcourt, when he was abducted on Friday.
When our correspondents visited his residence on Solanke Street, they met his family members who said efforts to find him had proved abortive, just as his telephone numbers had been switched off.
His wife, Eniola, said her husband had returned from Port Harcourt where he relocated to due to threats to his life.
She said, “My husband is very popular in this community. Because of that, whenever there was a fight involving his friends and people’s property were destroyed, the police would arrest him.
“He became unhappy with the bad name they were giving him, and he called them and said he wanted to quit street fighting.
“He met other cult groups and appealed to them to embrace peace and lay down their weapons.”
She said the groups agreed to a truce in December last year.
PUNCH Metro was told that a few months after the truce, sanity returned to the area. But some of Sangba’s friends, who were opposed to the development, attacked him.
Eniola said one of her husband’s friends shot him at a party in April, adding that he narrowly escaped.
“From that time, he stopped coming to the house and started lodging in a hotel nearby.
“When the stress became too much for him, he decided to relocate to Port Harcourt. While he was away, there was another bloody clash in Bajulaiye and Ebute; two people were killed. When he heard, he was disturbed and told his friends to stop the fighting. He wondered what they were fighting for.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim later returned to Lagos on Wednesday, June 3, to look after his family and perfect plans to travel outside the country.
“When he arrived, he called one of those boys, who he trusted, and told him that he only came to get his travelling documents,” Eniola added.
It was learnt that the victim went to a club on Friday, when the gang attacked and abducted him.
Another friend, who was with him, Toheeb Akinpelumi, was said to have been injured before he escaped.
Sangba’s mother, Eme, said the family reported the matter at the Bariga Police Division.
She lamented that her son had yet to be found, urging the kidnappers to release him.
She said, “Since they kidnapped him on Friday, his phone numbers have been switched off. I have not been able to eat. He is my source of happiness and joy. I appeal to his friends, Anarchy, Ade and others, to release him. If he offended them, they should forgive him.
“Ade and Anarchy lived with me for two years and I fed them.
“After the disagreement started, they chased my son with guns, saying they would kill him.
“At another time, they came to the house and when they did not meet him they broke the television and said they would return.”
A police source told our correspondents that the victim was kidnapped by Anarchy, Rotimi, Lati, Ade and others, who were loyal to late Segun Ogere, aka Shaggy.
Shaggy was killed by suspected cultists while returning from a court, where he was the principal witness, sometime in 2014.
The source said, “We have declared many of them wanted, especially Anarchy. He was responsible for the death of Saka Haruna and one Idowu, who was shot dead on July 10, 2011. He has killed no fewer than 11 people in Ilaje community. We are looking for him.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, said he would get back to our correspondents. But he had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
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