Suspected cultists fatally shoot Lagos shawarma vendor

A shawarma vendor identified as Andy was shot and killed by suspected cultists in the Sangotedo area of Lagos State on Saturday evening.

According to information obtained by PUNCH Metro, Andy was serving customers at his shawarma stand when several masked men approached and opened fire at close range. The attackers fled the scene immediately, leaving Andy in a pool of blood.

A police source familiar with the case revealed that the assailants allegedly disguised themselves as customers before launching the attack. The information we received is that the suspects came pretending to buy shawarma. While being attended to, they suddenly pulled out guns and shot the victim in the head before escaping, the source said.

Police officers later arrived at the scene and found Andy’s body, which was subsequently evacuated. The police source stated that while the incident is being investigated, a cult-related motive had not yet been officially established.

However, an anti-cultism group, Confra Naija, claimed in a social media post that the attack was cult-related. The platform described Andy—popularly known as Aboki De Junior—as a peaceful and hardworking shawarma vendor from Benue State. According to the post, Eiye cultists took responsibility for the killing. “Aboki De Junior was a calm and friendly businessman who welcomed everyone and even had Aye members as friends,” the group noted.

A video shared online showed distraught residents gathered around Andy’s body, with some visibly weeping. Among them was a woman believed to be a relative, seen clutching the body and crying uncontrollably.

Efforts to reach the Lagos State police spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, were unsuccessful as calls went unanswered and text messages were not returned as of press time.

Lagos State has experienced a series of cult-related killings and reprisals in recent years, especially in the Lekki-Ajah axis, Ikorodu, Mushin, and parts of Lagos Mainland, where rival groups have clashed over supremacy battles.

PUNCH Metro reported a similar incident in August 2025, when another shawarma vendor was shot dead by suspected cultists at his shop in the Mowo area along the Badagry Expressway, Lagos State.