In a dimly lit area of Lagos city, the tension between rival cult groups, Black axe and Eiye reached a boiling point last night, setting the stage for a violent clash that would leave a trail of injuries in its wake. It was gathered that this time around, both gangs converged on a neutral territory, Ikeja, that had become the battleground for their longstanding feud.
In the midst of the chaos, on Dec 6 2023, 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. The Columnist NG gathered that the owner of the Pharmacy, Doctor Femi Henry Ajigbolamu, was not in that night. His assistant, Uche Amadi, and his wife, Dr. Oladunni Taiwo Ajigbolamu, who happened to be there, was caught in the middle.
When asked by the doctor how the young man was wounded, his cult members, who were no fewer than six in number, refused to answer. They kept shouting at both women, Dr.Ajigbolamu and Amadi. The doctor was ordered to treat the man’s injuries. But when she realised the men refused to tell how the injuries were sustained, she declined to treat him, then directed them to a nearby hospital. The gang ran out of patience and threatened to kill the doctor if she did not start immediate treatment. One of the gang men put a gun to the doctor’s neck. As a result, she treated him under duress, removed a bullet lodged in the man’s leg, which she handed over to one of his 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.
According to eye witnesses, the cult group who had a clash with the group that took one of their members to the pharmacy were furious. It was gathered that the next day, they visited the pharmacy asking for Dr Mrs Ajigbolamu, who treated one of their rival cult members. When they didn’t see her, they destroyed several items and assaulted a member of staff on duty. They vowed to retaliate by killing her whenever she is found. Since then, the pharmacy has been partially under lock and key for fear of an attack. Dr. Mrs Ajigbolamu, hasn’t been the same ever since the threat to life.
Speaking with The Columnist NG, an eye witness who appeared scared and doesn’t want his name mentioned, said he took it upon himself to report the incident at a police station. He said ‘’I was disappointed when a police lady I met said since I wasn’t directly involved, I should learn how to mind my business and leave before I get locked up in the station. She also asked why the doctor treated the victim without police report. It is a shame that the police are more interested in why she treated the victim instead of going after the group for threatening her.’’
It was gathered that members of the police are adding woes to the doctor by enquiring why she treated without a police report. Moreover, the law currently states that gunshot victims can be treated without police reports.
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.
