Chiemelie Ezeobi
Hours after he was arrested and released by the Lagos State Police Command for his alleged involvement in the Badoo ritual killings, Chief Alaka Abayomi Thursday distanced himself from the allegations.
Abayomi, who admitted that he was the owner of the said shrine at Agbowa, however said he was a traditionalist who has the right to practise his religion without fear.
Abayomi, who owns Alaka filling station, also accused the police of framing him and linking his shrine with the dreaded Badoo ritual gang, adding that he neither belongs to the cult nor group.
He said: “I was invited by the police on July 18 and I honoured the invitation where I made a statement through writing. I was asked if I belong to the Badoo cult group and I said no.
“I was further asked about a deity I worship, I told them yes that I have a dedicated traditional place of worship because that is the god I worship and believe in.
“After the interrogation, I was allowed to go home only for the police to storm my house at Magodo where I live on Sunday, July 30, 2017 and informed me that the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations Edgal Imohinmi wants to see me and I followed them.
“On our way to the state command, they stopped and picked two other persons. Getting there, I was detained and no one told me what offence I committed.
“It was the following day that they brought me out and put me in a vehicle with pressmen and asked me to take them to my deity where I worship at Agbowa in Ikorodu.
“I took them there, they searched everywhere and nothing incriminating was found.
“I have this deity which I worship for over 30 years, as far as I know in Ikorodu alone, there are over 100 deities people believe and worship nobody questioned them.
“Police searched everywhere and nothing incriminating was found yet they tagged me a murderer and a leader of Badoo cult.
“If I may ask, if I am a leader or belong to Badoo cult group will police release me? For 30 good years, I have lived in Ikorodu. People know me as a business man and know what type of business I do but only God will vindicate me.
“I worship what I believe in and I did not know it is a crime for every human being to belong to different religious group. All the same, I know someone is trying to tarnish the image I have built for a long time.”
