A mechanic identified simply as Samson has been killed after he was allegedly lured under the guise of repairing a Mercedes-Benz vehicle in the Abijo area of Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State.
The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday, September 15, with a police source disclosing that the victim operated a mechanic workshop around the Warike Estate area of the community.
According to the source, Samson was contacted to repair a Mercedes-Benz and proceeded to the location where the vehicle was reportedly parked.
However, upon arriving at the location, he was allegedly taken into a nearby bush and hacked to death.
“The victim was lured to the location on the pretext of going to repair a Mercedes-Benz car. We were told that when he got there, he was taken into the bush and killed.
“Investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the killing and identify those responsible,” the source said.
The police source added that suspected cultists were believed to be responsible for the killing, although investigations were still ongoing.
Meanwhile, an anti-cultism advocacy platform, in a post sighted on Thursday, claimed that Samson’s killing was linked to an alleged cult reprisal.
The platform alleged that the victim was killed in retaliation for the death of an Eiye member identified as Ola Sheu, who was reportedly killed by suspected members of the NBM group on September 9 around Adeba Bus Stop in the Lakowe area of Ibeju-Lekki.
According to the platform, Samson’s alleged affiliation with a cult group was not widely known until a photograph showing him wearing a cult beret during his graduation was posted online in celebration of his birthday.
The platform claimed that the photograph subsequently exposed his identity to rival cult members and that he was targeted as part of a reprisal.
However, the allegations surrounding the motive for Samson’s killing had yet to be independently established as of the time of reporting.
When contacted, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the incident.
Adebisi, however, said the victim’s family initially reported that his whereabouts were unknown.
“Following the receipt of the information, detectives swung into action and visited the victim’s apartment,” she said.
The police said investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify those responsible.
