Badoo Gang Resurfaces in Ikorodu, Kills Woman, Two Kids

The members of the erstwhile ritualist gang, Badoo, on Wednesday  resurfaced at Agbowa, Ikorodu area of Lagos State and killed a woman and her two children.

The incident which occurred at no 1, Alhaji Olatunda Street, Temu, a border village with Epe, saw the gang murdering the victims, who were simply identified as Iyabo Alaba and her kids, a 4-year-old David Alaba and 10-year-old Rachel Alaba.

The trio were said to have been murdered in their sleep, less than 24 hours after they returned to the community after a two-week break.

According to eyewitness account, the assailants had scaled the fence of the building before smashing their heads, spilling their blood all over the bed.

The victims were said to be sleeping inside the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), which is also in the premises, when they were attacked as the woman's husband was not around when the assailants struck.

The man identified simply as Alaba was alleged to have been a repented member of the cult group, which angered his former gang to carry out a revenge mission against him for daring to pull out.

One of the neighbours, Adesina Idowu said: "They just moved into this community six months ago. For about two weeks, they were not around. They returned on Monday and were found dead on Tuesday morning.

"They were killed inside the church, Celestial Church of Christ. They stay in the compound and also have a church there.

"We were surprised when somebody came to call me that Iya David is dead. When I got to the scene, the assailants had killed the woman and her two children who were with her.

“I do not know how they got into the community because we have guards patrolling the community. How they entered into the victims' compound without the guard knowing is a mystery to us.”

Another resident who simply gave his name as Tajudeen said: "We informed Agbowa Police Station immediately we learnt of the incident. Initially, we thought it was armed robbery case.

"But when entered their apartment and saw the stone used by the assailants, that was when we knew it was Badoo’s attack."

However, the spokesman for the state police command, Olarinde Famous-Cole, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said only two people died, insisting that there was nothing to show the attack was done by the gang.

He said the landlady of the building and a commercial motorcyclist have been arrested as suspects in the murder, adding that they would be transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID).

Famous-Cole said: "A case of murder was reported at Agbowa Police Station. The landlady of the compound and a motorcyclist who live there have been arrested as suspects. They would be transferred to Homicide for investigation.

"There is no connotation with Badoo. Their heads were not smashed. No stone was found at the scene. Only two people died."