Cults Clash Disrupts Isese Day Celebration
By Sherif Salau
Isese Day celebration in Ewu community, Oshodi experienced a disruption in their activities as rival factions of the Eiye Confraternity clashed which resulted in sustained injuries to victims.
The incident indicate that the fight involved suspected members of the Eiye Confraternity from Mafoluku and Ewu. The fight was said to have happened at the Isese celebration ground in Ewu.
While the details of the incident remain limited. It was suggested that tensions between the two groups escalated into physical fighting, leaving many people injured. As at the time of reporting, there was no fatalities confirmed, and the precise cause of the confrontation has yet to be established.
Oshodi and its surrounding communities, including Mafoluku and Ewu have experienced recurrent cult-related violence in recent years. Rivalries among confraternity groups frequently spill into public spaces, occasionally coinciding with cultural gathering that attract large crowds. The occurrence of this clash during a state recognized cultural holiday intended to foster communal harmony has increased concern among local leaders and residents.
Witnesses described a sudden flare-up of clutter that forced many festival participants to run for their lives. Security personnel were swiftly deployed to restore calmness. Cult related violence continues to raise a significant security problem in some parts of Lagos, often driven by territorial disputes, personal rivalries and enlisting of young people into the confraternity networks. While security agencies and measures have been conducted in multiple operations targeting suspected cultists in recent months, incidents such as the one reported in Ewu illustrate the persistent capacity of these groups to interrupt public life.
As inquiries proceed, community stakeholders have called for calmness in the area. The incident serves as a sobering reminder that the struggle against cultism in Lagos is far from over and that public festivals, while meant to unite can still become tension zones when unresolved rivalries surface.
