Community panics as cultists in Lagos kill the NURTW leader

Following the reported murder of Sulaimon Onaolapo, alias Ariku, Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers by cultists in the Mile 12 neighbourhood of the Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State, residents and business owners there have been living in fear.

Four accused cultists were shown using cutlasses to hack Onaolapo until he died in a video that went viral online on Sunday night.

Onaolapo's supporters threatened to retaliate, which raised tension after the incident when local residents spoke to our reporters on Monday.

While some locals said that Onaolapo's death was the result of cult-related activities, others claimed that the NURTW leader was assassinated because he wanted to control the local transportation parks.

Mary Olayemi, a local, claimed that on Sunday, as she and her family were leaving the church, they heard gunshots.

When everything was calm, she claimed, "We ran into a compound when we heard the gunfire, and when it was clear, we realised that Onaolapo (Ariku) had been killed with machetes."

According to what we've heard, they had been seeking for him and finally found him yesterday at noon. People from NURTW have been fighting for a while now. We worry that the violence may continue the next week.

For security considerations, a dealer who only wanted to be identified as Adejare stated that many shop owners did not open for business and that those who did should be cautious because anything can happen. My family must not be aware that I am shopping, but I need to sell.

Another resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, expressed regret that her husband's car had been burned as payback. "My husband left home around past 12pm. We soon heard shouting after he had already left. We were forced to shut ourselves inside. My husband's car had been burned, which we found when we stepped outside.