“Killing Of late Lateef was to avenge death of my elder brother” – Suspect

Rilwan Balogun a Junior Secondary School three drop out claimed he was not a cultist. Although he admitted to have pointed the deceased to Liadi, he said he did not witness murder.

Member of Eiye fraternity gave an in depth details of how he murdered one of his rivals during a birthday party held in Mushin area of Lagos last week.

Arrested alongside the 22-year-old suspect was his alleged accomplice.

The deceased, a commercial motorcyclist, identified as Sura Abiola Lateef, was reportedly attacked along with his friend, when they stepped out to buy sachet water.

While his friend, identified as Rilwan, was said to have managed to escape with a deep cut in the neck, same could not be said of Lateef, who was stabbed in different parts of his body and abandoned in the pool of his blood and he bled to death.

20 suspected cultists had been arrested between October 18 and 21, 2015 according to commissioner of police.

Among them were 22-year-old Morufu Liadi and Rilwan Balogun who confessed to have had a hand in the late commercial motorcyclist’s death.

Liadi who showed no sign of remorse said the killing of late Lateef was to avenge the death of his elder brother.

He said: “I am a vulcanizer. I was forced to join the Eiye confraternity last year in order to avenge the death of my brother who was murdered by cultists seven years ago. I waited until last year to join because by then, I was only 15 years old and I was told that I was too young to join a cult.

“Last Sunday, I was invited to a birthday bash at  Agbekolade Street, Mushin, where members of Aye were in attendance. While there, my friend (pointing to Balogun who sat by his side) showed me a young man named Lateef, who he said was among those that murdered my elder brother, Azeez, seven years ago. He said Lateef was one of Aye’s hit men.

“Immediately I got up to challenge him (Lateef ) and to my surprise, the person with him brought out a gun. He fired some shots at me but none penetrated. At that moment, they both took to their heels. Lateef fell and I used that opportunity to stab him on any part of the body I could lay my hands on. I did that to avenge the death of my brother.“