Residents of Ajegunle community in the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State have demanded justice from the Lagos State government and the police over the alleged gruesome murder of one of them, Mr Peter-Greg Edogbeji, by members of a cult group known as Awala Boys two years ago.
Late Edogbeji, a graduate of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) Lagos and professional photographer was at the time of his killing preparing for his wedding.
He was reportedly walked innocently alongside the traditional ruler of Oke-Ira community in the area, Baale Taiye Layeni, into the hands of the hoodlums, who at the time were attacking and robbing people of their valuables and in the process ended up as a casualty while Baale Layeni narrowly escaped with deep machete cut wounds.
The incident happened precisely on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and was reported by Tribune Online in its May 10, 2020 edition with the headline: “Wicked Blow: How Hoodlums killed Photographer 3 Months To Wedding.”
However, the residents alongside the family of the late Edogbeji, demanded justice at the remembrance event to mark the second anniversary of his death last month.
They said it was not only disturbing but very painful that the level of insecurity in Ajegunle community is worsening each day.
They said of particular reference is the criminal activities of cultists and hooligans who daily attack and inflict pains on innocent residents, traders and thier visitors.
They said hardly would a day pass without the criminal elements rob people of their valuables such as money, jeweries, phones and so forth even in the broad daylight and at times at gun points.
They said it was based on this troubled scenario in the community that the late Edogbeji and some other law abiding youths formed a security committee to complement the efforts of government security agencies to protect lives and property and flush out criminal elements from the community.
They listed some of the spots volatile to criminal activities to include Layinka Street, Olumokun Street, Imam Street, Apasa Street, Okoya, Agudu Street, Bara Lane, Alayabiagba community and Iyalode Street, among others.
Speaking at the event, late Edogbeji’s cousin, Mr. Ezekiel Gaza, who represented the family, said the family was still in pain and shock over his dealth particularly when it comes to mind the gruesome manner he was killed three months to his wedding.
He said it became more painful when hearing stories that his killers had been let off the hook and the activities of the cult group inflicting pains on people keeps increasing in the community.
He said though Peter-Greg had gone and nothing could bring him back again, the family can only be relieved when justice is served over his killing and peace is reigning in Ajegunle community.
He appealed to the good people of the community to continue to join Edogbeji’s family to keep asking for justice from the authorities until it’s served.
He said that is the only way hoodlums and other criminal elements in the community and those with similar intentions can turn to be law abiding.
In his own remark, Mr Sunday Elu, late Edogbeji’s colleague in the security committee, described Edogbeji killing as not only unfortunate but totally condemnable.
He said it was painful that somebody who was striving to ensure that peace reigns in a community ended a victim and casualty of troublemakers.
He said he doesn’t like to remember the brutally manner Edogbeji was killed and as captured in the CCTV footage that went viral at the time.
He said the best the government could do is to bring all his killers to book to serve as deterent for others with similar intention in the community and elsewhere in Lagos State.
Also speaking, Mr Moshood Oshunfurewa, coordinator, Ajegunle Peoples Movement (APM), a socio-political platform, said the government and the security agencies in particular must have to be livelier to their constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property of citizens.
He, like others, also demanded justice for all victims of the country’s collapsed security system, including the late Edogbeji, who he said lost his life while helping to secure the community in which he was born and grew up.
He said it was only true justice that can boost the morale of few courageous individuals in Ajegunle community and elsewhere in the country to work with the government security agents to minimise crimes across the length and breadth of the country.
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