35-year-old father of three, Olusanya Onasanya, who is an Ordinary National Diploma holder in computer science, has expressed regrets over his decision to join cultism.
According to Vanguard, Olusanyan was arrested by operatives of the Anti Cultism Unit but he claimed he knew nothing about the offence for which he was arrested, saying he had long denounced cultism.
The young man, who was was visibly shaking and weeping his eyes out, said revealed that he had joined the Black Axe confraternity in order to fight his late father’s family who he alleged had been unfair to him. He said:
“I lost my father when I was very young. Later, my mother died too. I was then taken away by my late father’s relatives to live with my grandfather at Ojo road, until he too passed on in 2017. Since the demise of my grandfather, my father’s relatives have made life unbearable for me and my family. They tried to send me out of the house I have been living with my late grandfather because of they wanted to sell it. Twice, I was arrested and locked at the Layeni police station for no just cause. Whenever I was arrested, the police at Layeni police station always told me that there was no need for me to leave the cell, because if I did, I would be homeless, as my father’s relatives were preparing to sell the house I lived in with my wife and three children.”
According to Adesanya, things became worse by the day and he sought a way out. He said:
“I discussed the situation with my friends, and one of them, Gabriel, said I needed a backup to make them scared of me and that Black Axe could offer me that. So, I made up my mind to join them.”
But his decision worsened his situation, thereby denying him the assistance he anticipated. He said:
“I was initiated on March 24, 2016. Since then, my life became filled with evil activities, as I was always around members of the confraternity. The guys were always coming to my compound to drink and smoke, and sometimes have their meetings. I kept telling them that I was a family man, and that I didn’t want my children’s life to be in danger. But they never stopped coming. Instead of helping me fight oppression as I expected, which made me to join them, they made life more difficult for me.
“I became tired of the activities of the cult and decided to renounce my membership and report myself to the police. I went to make formal report to the Layeni Police station in Ojo and they told me that I should call them whenever those cultists came around me again. I also went to the Signal Barracks at Ojo, where I told them that I was a member of the Black Axe, but that I no longer wanted to be part of them. Some Army personnel were ordered to follow me to my compound to see if they could arrest any one but, they didn’t meet any of them there. Neighborhood Watch and policemen usually come to my place to check on me once in a while.”
Fate, however, played a fast one on him as he was arrested last Friday, in his house. According to him:
“At about 9;30pm, I saw some men jumping through my fence. I didn’t know they were police men because they came in mufti. So, I asked who they were looking for. They said they were police men. They asked who I was and I told them my name. Immediately, they said, I was the one they came for and that was how I was arrested.”
But when the attention of the police was drawn to the arrest, with an explanation on why he was arrested, since he had renounced membership of Black Axe, sources at the Anti Cultism Unit told Crime Guard that a suspected cultist who was earlier arrested, mentioned his name.
Police sources said, “The Commander of the Unit, CSP Udom Uduak, has promised to release him at the end of investigation to verify his claims.
