By Moses Omorogieva
Mr Israel Ajao, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), has appealed to the public to stop killing suspected members of the Badoo cult group terrorising Ikorodu in Lagos.
Ajao, Chairman of Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps (LNSC), made the appeal during a security town hall meeting organised by the corps for communities in and around Ikorodu.
He described the killing of suspected badoo members by a mob as uncivilised.
“If anyone arrests any suspect, he should hand him over to the police for investigation and possible prosecution.
”Jungle justice is not the solution to crime and criminality.
”I, therefore, appeal that such an action should stop. The police in Lagos are doing well and they have all it takes to handle the situation.
“All they need is information. That is the reason for this meeting. Badoo boys are human beings, they live with us; people must say what they know about them.
“I want all private security organisations to register with LNSC so that we can work together,“ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that traditional rulers, religious leaders, transporters, traders, the youth, military, paramilitary and private security organisations attended the meeting.
The monarch of Imota, Oba Mudasiru Agoro, who spoke on behalf of other rulers, urged security agencies, particularly the police, to deploy intelligence officers to the grassroots to get information.
He also urged security agencies to share information, while urging the communities to know people around them.
Other speakers agreed to any measure the government and security agencies were taking to address the Badoo menace.
NAN reports that more than six persons suspected to be members of Badoo cult have been killed in Ikorodu in the past two months.
More than 200 suspected members of the group have been arrested in different parts of Ikorodu after they allegedly killed some innocent persons. (NAN)
