Community Crime Report: Birthday Party Turns Into Cult Initiation, Police Declare Black Axe, Others Wanted For Chief Unogbokhi’s Death

Young Man, Mr. Smart Modu, Shares How a Simple Party Invitation Led to Cult Initiation

In a harrowing tale, a young man has recounted how what began as a simple invitation to a birthday party turned into an unforeseen ordeal, culminating in his initiation into a cult group called Black Axe without his knowledge.

Mr. Unogbokhi Smart Modu, the individual at the center of this incident, narrated how he was coerced into joining the cult at Ekpoma. He alleged that guns and cutlasses were used to intimidate him during the initiation process.

According to Mr. Modu, he received an invitation from a friend to attend a party in his community, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria. The event initially seemed like an ordinary gathering of young people, filled with music, laughter, and camaraderie. However, as the evening progressed, the atmosphere shifted.

He was led into a secluded area by a group of young men under the guise of a friendly conversation. To his surprise, the interaction quickly turned into a ritualistic ceremony with chants and instructions that left him confused and scared. Despite his protests, he was coerced into participating, unknowingly taking an oath that marked his initiation into the cult.

Mr. Modu expressed his shock and regret, emphasizing that he had no prior knowledge of the group's activities or intentions. He has since taken steps to dissociate himself from the cult and is sharing his story as a cautionary tale for others.

This incident sheds light on the growing issue of unsuspecting young individuals being lured into cult activities under false pretenses, raising the need for vigilance and awareness among the youth. Instead of focusing on youth policies that can develop society, many are consumed with personal vendettas.

This toxic environment prevents meaningful development and hinders the growth of our youth. Rather than uniting for the greater good, young people are engaging in bitter rivalries that serve only to divide and stall progress. Such behavior hampers efforts to build a stronger, more prosperous Nigeria.

According to Modu Smart, since he refused to join the cult's "evil occultist plans," his life has been under threat. He has received numerous calls from the cult group, forcing him to go into hiding for safety.

Mr. Modu reported this incident to the Esanland Update Magazine Correspondent on September 27, 2024. He recounted how a group of cultists surrounded his family house in Uromi, firing sporadically into the air. Although he managed to escape, his father, Chief Unogbokhi Friday, was tragically shot dead in what appeared to be self-defense.

Mr. Smart Modu immediately reported the case to the police, who assured him they would investigate. However, he lamented that no significant action has been taken to date.

“When the attempts on my life became unbearably frequent, I fled to Lagos to stay with a friend," he said. However, after some days in Lagos, his friend began receiving threatening letters, making the situation worse than before.

“It was like I was on their radar, and there was no hiding place for me,” Modu added.

Unfortunately, the trauma caused by the incessant attacks took a toll on his family. His father lost his life in the turmoil, leaving the family devastated.

Like many other unresolved cases of complicity in criminal acts, this incident remains one of the legion of unresolved cases of murder and criminality in the country.

According to Modu, "The case was reported to the police, but they did nothing about it because they seemed to have been compromised."

“It felt like there was a price tag on my head, and the passion to have me killed was palpable,” he concluded.

As the cult war continued in Edo State, one person was reportedly killed on Wednesday around Third Junction in Benin.

Source said the deceased was killed by a rival cult group over the current disagreement and supremacy war between rival cult groups in the state.

It was learnt that the fight is between members of the Eiye and Vikings confraternity.

He said the killing in the last three days had thrown the city into panic with residents avoiding night movement in certain parts, especially the upper Sakponba axis.

“One person was also killed on Wednesday at Third Junction in Benin. The cult war continues and most residents avoid staying out late these days.

“I also heard that one of the cult groups is seeking reinforcement from Delta State and that will plunge the state into further chaos.”

LAGOS STATE CRIME REPORT:

The State Commissioner of Police, Umoru Ozigi, on Wednesday evening, paraded suspected cultists arrested in connection with the recent cult violence in Benin city, Edo State, Nigeria.

The state Commissioner of Police, said cultists were part of the criminals paraded at the state headquarters.

Cultists chase new recruit to his home and attack his entire family and neighbors after he ran off 

The police in Lagos state have arrested a group of cultists that were carrying out new initiations into a newly formed  secret confraternity named " THE NEW BLACK MOVEMENT OF AFRICA", a breakaway faction of the AIYE cult group, at about 12am  at Jakande estate, Ajah Lagos state, Nigeria.

 A statement by the command's spokesperson, CSP Chike Oti, says one of the  recruits who couldn't endure the torture and other initiation rites he was subjected, bolted for his dear life and ran to his mother's house  at Jakande estate, Ajah Lagos. Miffed by the apparent show of cowardice by the intending recruit and the fact that he may give them up to the police, the group chased him to his mother's residence and began to beat up everybody in sight, at same time, robbing residents of the estate who were woken up by their noise. 

Unfortunately for the group, the mother of the runaway boy, sneaked out of the house and a placed a distress  call to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of  Ilasan division, CSP Onyinye Onwuamaegbu who led a contingent of policemen to the estate and arrested eleven members of the group, all males;  namely, Godwin Victor, Benjamin Daniel, Saviour Anioffiong, Lawal Ibrahim, Shola Odekunle, Sodiq Olawuyi, Segun Fagbohun, Bashiru Lawal, Chinedu Francis, Wahab Adams and Ifarinde Adeniyi.       

The police team recovered the following items from the suspects, viz: one locally made shotgun, four live cartridges, three cutlasses, one sledge hammer, ten horse whips and assorted charms.

In a related development, two notorious cultists, Rasheed Yusuf aka Radical and Abel Okwo, were arrested during a supremacy  battle  between the Aiye and Eiye confraternities at Akerele street, Oworonshoki. Meanwhile, the said Abel Okwo was charged to court two months ago by the Command for cult related offences only to come back to terrorizing the town the more. 

The Commissioner of Police,  Lagos State, CP Edgal Imohimi, vows that the Command will not relent in its efforts at ridding the state of members of these unlawful societies. He therefore calls on parents to hold heart to heart talks with their children, male and female alike, on the evil consequences of belonging to cult groups. He thanks Lagosians for always providing the Command with information about the activities of these outlaws and solicits for more cooperation.