Tension has once again escalated in Makogi, a community in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, as residents accuse Chief Babatunde Akanni Sonola, also known as Tallman, of using cultists to terrorize them. The latest alleged attack occurred on Monday night when a group of young people returning from a naming ceremony were ambushed by suspected cultists. The incident took place directly in front of the monarch’s palace, with victims claiming that the attackers emerged from the palace grounds.
One of the victims, Ayoola, who was severely beaten and macheted, spoke to SaharaReporters, recounting his harrowing experience. He stated that the attack was ordered by Babatunde himself, who allegedly watched from his upstairs balcony while the cultists brutalized him. Ayoola named several individuals involved in the assault, including Osha, Jelili, Omo Aina, and others. He also revealed that his brother’s fashion shop had been ransacked by the same cultists days before, with valuable equipment stolen.
Ayoola appealed directly to Governor Dapo Abiodun and the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, urging them to intervene before the situation worsens. He showed visible injuries from the attack and expressed his frustration with the lack of action from law enforcement, citing that his brother’s previous report to the police had been dismissed because no one had been killed.
“We are tired of all the violence from Babatunde and his cultists,” Ayoola said, making an emotional plea for help. “Governor Dapo Abiodun, please come to our aid. We don’t know why Babatunde is after us.”
Another victim, Sunday Ojeyemi, also recounted how he and several others were ambushed by the same cultists while returning from the naming ceremony. Ojeyemi described how the attackers, armed with machetes and bottles, beat and injured him, stole one of his phones, and destroyed his shop. He too appealed to Governor Abiodun, stating that the community can no longer live in peace with the ongoing violence.
“I’m calling on Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun to please come to our rescue,” Ojeyemi said. “We can no longer sleep with both eyes closed in Makogi. Babatunde Sonola is sending cultists to attack and kill us.”
This latest attack comes amid an ongoing land dispute in Makogi, where Babatunde is accused of selling land that does not belong to him. Members of the Osho Kanakana family, the rightful owners of the land, have accused Babatunde of using cultists to intimidate them into relinquishing their property. Victims of these attacks have reported property destruction, physical assaults, and threats to their lives. Sunday Ojeyemi, a tailor in the community, shared how his shop was raided by armed cultists who stole industrial sewing machines worth thousands of naira.
“I thank God I wasn’t at the shop that day,” Ojeyemi said. “Things could have been worse. My apprentices ran for their lives. They could have been killed.”
The violence has not been limited to property destruction. Omotayo Kanakana, an elderly woman, described how her home was vandalized by suspected cultists under Babatunde’s command. The attackers shattered windows, shot sporadically, and physically assaulted her. “I can’t return to my house. My children have been chased away,” she said.
Similarly, Mulikatu Opasola, another elderly resident, shared how the cultists raided her son’s shop before attacking her home in the middle of the night. “I ran into the bush and spent the night there. My son is the breadwinner, and now his tools are gone. We’re hungry and helpless,” she explained.
The residents of Makogi are calling for immediate intervention from both Governor Dapo Abiodun and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to put an end to the alleged reign of terror imposed by Babatunde Sonola.
“We are begging Governor Abiodun and IGP Egbetokun to help us,” Ojeyemi said. “Babtunde Sonola must be stopped before more lives are lost.”
The Makogi community is demanding justice, safety, and a thorough investigation into Sonola’s alleged abuse of power and his association with cultists. The situation remains tense, and residents fear further attacks if swift action is not taken.
Saharareporters
