Badoo: Women protest at Ikorodu monarchs’ palaces

No fewer than 300 women drawn from various communities in Ibeshe, Ikorodu area of Lagos State, yesterday, embarked on a peaceful protest to the palaces of two royal fathers, the Onibeshe of Ibeshe land Oba Richard Ogunsanya and the Ayangburen of Ikorodu Oba Kabiru Shotobi over incessant killings by the suspected dreaded ritual cultists called Badoo.
The women, led by wife of a community leader, Mrs Adelakun Nike, began the protest as early as 7am at the palace of Onibeshe of Ibeshe land requesting that the traditional ruler finds a lasting solution to the killings.
According to them, their communities are deserted due to the incessant killings while commercial activities have been put on hold since the killings started over a year ago.
The protesters displaying placards and photographs of some of the victims of the attacks, saying they no longer sleep with two eyes closed for fear of the unknown.
Addressing the protesters, Mrs Adelakun said many families are traumatized, leading to mass relocation from the town.
She said: “We are all women and mothers. We know the pains we go through during child labour. A situation where women and children are wiped out has called for serious concern and we need not fold our arms and watch things get out of hand.
She claimed both the state government and traditional rulers have been silent over the issue, ‘’This is not the first protest in this land but our Oba is silent over the issue, also, we have been to the Government House but the governor did not hearken to our voice. There is mass relocation of people from Ibeshe land and our traditional ruler showed little or no concern and that is why we have embarked on this peaceful protest,”
The women also protested at the palace of Ayangbunren of Ikorodu, Oba Kabir Adewale Shotobi, vowing to proceed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s office tomorrow if immediate action was not taken to stop the dastardly act.
However, the traditional rulers and chiefs calmed the protesters assuring that all will be well.
Suspected cultists have killed many residents with the most recent one been last Sunday at Oke-Ota, Ibeshe, where a couple and their two children were killed while the third child, five-year-old Fiyinfoluwa, was raped to coma and has since been hospitalised.