The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the death of a 44-year-old man, Bashiru Saidu, following a violent clash between suspected rival cult groups in the Atan-Ota area of the state.

PUNCH Online gathered that Saidu, believed to be a member of the Eiye Confraternity, was gunned down on Sunday night by four unidentified men who arrived on two motorcycles.

Confirming the incident on Monday, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, SP Omolola Odutola, said that the police had launched an investigation into the fatal attack and were intensifying efforts to apprehend the perpetrators.

“The Ogun State Police Command has launched an investigation into a fatal cult-related incident that claimed the life of one individual in the Atan-Ota area of the state,” Odutola stated.

According to her, the Atan-Ota Divisional Headquarters received a distress call around 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, reporting that “four armed men, riding on two motorcycles, attacked and fatally shot one Bashiru Saidu along Bankole Onibukun Street, Atan-Ota. The assailants immediately fled the scene after the attack.”

She added that responding officers found the victim with a gunshot wound to the head. His body was subsequently evacuated and deposited at the State Hospital Mortuary in Ilaro for further examination.

In response to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, has deployed the command’s Anti-Cultism Unit to the area. The unit has been mandated to conduct a “thorough investigation aimed at apprehending the perpetrators of this heinous act,” Odutola said.

The police spokesperson reiterated the command's firm stance against cult-related violence and assured residents that efforts are ongoing to root out cultism and restore lasting peace in Ogun State.

She also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station.