Africa-Press – Nigeria. A teenager, identified simply as Chike, who reportedly travelled from Delta State to Lagos to visit a friend, has been shot dead by suspected cultists in the Ikotun area of Lagos State.
According to available accounts, the teenager had stepped out with his friend to withdraw cash from a Point-of-Sale (PoS) operator when they were confronted by a group of young men.
It was gathered that the incident occurred on Sunday.
An eyewitness, Abiodun, who spoke to our correspondence on Thursday, said the attackers approached the duo, engaged them briefly, and then opened fire at close range before fleeing the scene.
“He was coming back from a PoS outlet where he went to withdraw money with his friend when some boys stopped them. They spoke for a short moment, and one of them suddenly shot him,” Abiodun said.
“He died on the spot, and the attackers ran away immediately. His friend was not harmed,” he added.
The witness added that the victim’s friend escaped unhurt, but the incident caused panic among residents of the area.
Photographs obtained from the scene showed the teenager lying lifeless shortly after the attack.
Meanwhile, an anti-cultism advocacy platform, in a post on Monday, suggested that the killing may be cult-related, alleging that the assailants demanded valuables from the victim before shooting him.
The platform claimed that the deceased, also known as “Ejanla,” lived in Asaba, Delta State, and had travelled to Ikotun to see a friend prior to the incident.
According to the post, “He had just withdrawn money from a POS outlet with his friend’s brother when they were confronted by some men. Witnesses said the attackers shouted ‘Haba-Krier’ before and after shooting him.”
It further alleged that the victim attempted to surrender his belongings, including cash and gold items, but was still shot by the assailants, who then fled the scene.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to her phone had not been returned at the time of filing this report.
For More News And Analysis About Nigeria Follow Africa-Press
