My waist charm kept me alive during our ‘wars’ – Suspect nabbed with two guns

When men of the Lagos State Police Command burst into a hotel room where 28-year-old Leke Waheed and his friends were smoking Indian hemp and drinking in Ojuelegba area of Lagos, a curious sight instantly attracted their attention.

Laid out on the table in the room was a piece of item decked up with fetish objects like cowries. It is what is called “Ibante” in Yoruba.

When Waheed was paraded before journalists at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters in Ikeja on Wedneday, he explained that the ‘Ibante’ was the reason he was still alive.

The police arrested Waheed along with his cohorts after acting on a report of theft of a camera, mobile phone and N10,000 in the room of a guest at the hotel.

But when they were arrested and interrogated at the station, more facts emerged about what the young men do for a living.

Waheed explained that he fought “area wars” for a living.

Over the last few years, Ajah area of Lagos has been rocked by violent clashes between Ajah residents and their Ilaje neighbours.

Many have died while many have been arrested and charged to court in connection with the crises.

Waheedsaid he participated in all these attacks even though he lives in Ijora, far from the location.

According to him, he and his friends are contracted as foot soldiers to take part in the “war”.

He said the Ibante or waste charm which was found in his hotel room was his protection anytime they go on a “war”.

“That is what kept me alive till today. I would have died. Many of my group members have died in the past, but I was never hit by a bullet,” he said.

While being questioned by the police, Waheed confessed to owning two locally made pistols and subsequently took detectives to the house of his group’s armourer, an individual he identified as Bolaji in Ajah area of Lagos.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that by the time the police got to Bolaji’s house, he had fled but they were still able to recover the guns after carrying out a search of the apartment.

Waheed said one of the leaders of his group, a man he identified as Ganiyu AKA Okelemele, bought the guns for N35,000 each.

He said, “The guns were bought and given to me by Okelemele. He lives on Ali Iwo Street, Ijora. I have been using the guns for the last two years now.

“We were using cutlasses to fight before but we realised that our people were getting killed because the other side already had guns. So, our leaders decided to buy us guns too.

“I have never used the guns to kill anybody but in addition to the Ibante, I feel confident having taken the guns alongwhenever we go to war. I have used the gun five times but I have not used it to kill anybody.”

“After we go out to fight, we are not paid directly with money. Our leaders reward us by giving us section of neighbourhoods where we collect street tolls from commercial buses, tricycle and okada riders. But that is only if we successfully chase away our enemies during each operation.”

According to Waheed, people in his group sometimes numbered up to 30 during their clashes with the Ilaje people.

Also arrested and paraded alongside Waheed is Sule Saheed, an 18-year-old aluminium fabrication apprentice and a regular foot soldier in the Ilaje-Ajah crisis like Waheed.

Saheed explainedthat after each outing, he was tasked with taking the guns to Bolaji for safekeeping.

According to him, when they went out for a fight, while the others arm themselves with guns, he only was given a cutlass.

The police have said the suspects were still being investigated for armed robberies. The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, said the suspects would be charged to court when investigations into their criminal activities was complete.