Lagos state police command has arrested and paraded 20-year-old girl, Mariam, for allegedly killing many rival cult members in the state.
She was arrested by operatives of the Ilasamaja Police Station on Monday, led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Titilayo Orinyomi.
Narrating how she joined the cult, Mariam, who claimed to be a secondary school dropout, said: “I ran away from my house in Lafenwa area of Abeokuta to Lagos in search of work. I met one Sodiq when I got to Lagos. Sodiq took me to his house at Ilasamaja. He promised to give me a job. Really, he gave me a job that is beyond me. He initiated me into an Eiye cult.
“He took me to a herbalist, who initiated me. He gave me a black substance to eat. After the oath, he told me that my duty was to kill people. He gave me a gun and taught me how to shoot. I learnt how to shoot by shooting at the wall. We were three that were initiated and Sodiq gave three of our guns and pictures of persons to kill. He trained three of us. Two boys and myself.
“I have killed four persons. Each time that I went to kill, I usually wore a white gown and a white veil (hijab). Sodiq, who I called ‘Brother,’ usually showed us the target’s house. We would go to the house at night. The two boys would scale the fence and open the gate for me. We would go straight to the apartment and shoot at the target at close range. None of our targets survived. I killed one guy in Fadeyi area of Lagos. Another one in Hassan area, one at Ajah.
Each time we killed someone, Sodiq would pay me N10,000, but he would pay the others N20,000 each. I don’t feel bad after killing anyone because I see it as a job I am being paid for.
“Sodiq loved me so much. One day, he told me that we would soon extend the killing to individuals who were not rival groups, but those who paid for justice.
He said our business name would be ‘Arms of Justice’ and that we should know that we are assassins. He gave me a film to watch. In the film, I saw how people were assassinated and I loved the job of killing.
Why we were successful in the killing was that once I knocked on victims’ doors, and I said hello, they would not be perturbed as it was a female voice and I would shoot the person. I shot people in the heart or forehead at close range so they won’t survive.
“I regret being arrested because I was hoping for a day I would be making millions, as Sodiq promised that we would expand our business. I can kill alone; I don’t need company but I was just marking time to do away with the two guys who were following me. I was arrested when I heard of the arrest of Sodiq.
I thought he was arrested at Itire Police Station, so when I went there to ask after him, the police said there was nobody like that in their cell. It was while I was making calls that the police from Ilasamaja arrested me.
The woman, who I later learnt was the DPO, started asking too many questions. She asked how I came to Lagos and I told her. She asked where my gun was, I told her that they were with Wasiu. She opened her phones and started showing me photographs of people.
When she showed me Wasiu, the native doctor and Sodiq, I told her that I knew them and she arrested me. I have nothing to hide. I have killed four persons and life has no meaning to me.”
Edgal, said that the confession of the suspect called for serious concern as it was scary. He called on parents to be up to their tasks, saying,
“Parents should do more by monitoring their children. It is worrisome that her confession is startling, chronicling the number of killings. Apart from being an assassin, she was also an armourer for the gang. She is smiling and has no remorse. If this girl had not been arrested, we can’t imagine what she would turn into in two years’ time.” he said
