In a dimly lit area of Lagos city, the tension between rival cult groups, Black Axe and Eiye confraternities reached a boiling point. This time around, both gangs converged on a neutral territory, Ikeja that had become the battleground for their longstanding feud.
Columnist NG gathered that the incident on December 6, 2023, was a reprisal attack by the Eiye Confraternity following the murder of one of their leaders by the Black Axe.
It was in the usual fashion of them wielding weapons such as machetes, axe, planks and broken bottles, which caused panic among the residents of the area. In the midst of the chaos, a young man driven by misguided loyalty stumbled backwards with a painful cry as a blunt object struck his shoulder. Another, attempting to mediate, fell victim to an unexpected swing of a weapon, resulting in a slash across his forehead and a gunshot to his leg.
Around 8PM, one of the wounded men was taken in a haste to Ray Pharmacy, which was not far from the scene of the clash. Some eyewitnesses said the warring factions were from the notorious Ipodo area of Ikeja, just a stone throw from the pharmacy.
The Columnist NG gathered that the owner of the pharmacy, Doctor Olufemi Ajigbolamu, was not in that night. But his wife, Dr. Oladunni Ajigbolamu and a member of staff, who happened to be there, were caught in the middle.
According to a staff of the pharmacy who pleaded anonymity for fear of an attack said, when asked by the doctor how the man was wounded, the rest of the gang, who were no fewer than six in number, refused to answer. They ordered the doctor to treat the man’s injuries, but when she realised the severity of the injuries and their reluctance in divulging how the injuries were sustained, she declined to treat him, then directed them to a nearby hospital.
The staff further revealed that doctor’s reluctance to treat infuriated the gang, who immediately identified themselves as Black Axe Confraternity and started destroying properties. A member of the gang put a gun on the doctor’s neck, and was going to pull the trigger to kill her if she refused to commence immediate treatment. As a result, she treated him under duress, arrested the bleeding on his forehead, and removed a bullet lodged in the man’s leg, which she gave one of the cult members. And successfully revived the wounded man. They vandalised some valuables and took away the CCTV recording machine and the excised bullet in order to cover their tracks.
An eyewitness who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the other cult gang known as Eiye have been threatening to deal with Dr. Oladunni Ajigbolamu who saved the life of a member of their rival gang, whom they wanted dead. According to him, he said close to ten members of Eiye Confraternity stormed the pharmacy asking for Dr Mrs Ajigbolamu, who treated one of their rival cult members. When they didn’t see her, they destroyed things, assaulted a member of staff on duty, and attempted arson on the building. They vowed to retaliate by killing her whenever she is found. Since then, the pharmacy has been under lock and key for fear of an attack.
Columnist NG was successful in putting a call across to Dr Olufemi Ajigbolamu, who confirmed the incident. According to him, he was glad his ‘’wife was able to save the cult member’s life, otherwise, she would have been gunned down.’’ He declined further questions asked, however requested for some private moments. He said “This is a trying period for my family and would appreciate being left alone.” But he emphasised that he was not going anywhere close to Ray Pharmacy anytime soon for obvious reasons.
It was gathered from a reliable source that Dr Mrs Ajigbolamu was admitted to an undisclosed hospital and has gone into hiding since the threat to her life.
This platform has learnt that the roots of the rivalry of the gangs run deep, fuelled by territorial disputes, personal vendettas, and a never-ending cycle of retribution. They see anyone who stretches any kind of hand to their enemies as an enemy. As far as they are concerned, the doctor who treated their enemy has become an enemy. They have a huge network to track her down as far as she is in any part of Nigeria. We are calling on the police to rise up to their responsibility of securing lives and properties.
