In the secluded neighborhood of Lakowe in the Ibeju-Lekki Local Governance Area in Lagos State, a wave of fear swept through residents after the horrific discovery of a well-known skit-maker’s body on the night of August 14 2025. Also known as Austin the young artist was found dead, and buried with severe machete injuries that suggested a brutal assault by suspected cultists who had targeted him during the early evening of the Thursday.
The assault erupted quickly as an armed group swarmed the area, and focused at Austin’s house. They were said to have attempted to enter and then escorted him from his bedroom, and then caused fatal injuries in the process as well as severing an arm. The chaos started with unidentified soundings that echoed throughout the neighborhood in the early morning hours and was initially dismissed by the residents to be minor disturbances. It wasn’t until the morning that the shocking truth was revealed: Austin’s body lay in a graveyard, a shocking witness to the brutality of what occurred.
Austin was well-known not just for his skill as a skit-maker, but also as a talented hair stylist and hairdresser, attracting a group of acquaintances from the world of entertainment. People who knew him well said that he appeared to be aware of the danger that was looming over his head. Two days earlier to his departure on Tuesday the 22nd of March, he posted a mysterious goodbye message on social media accounts, an enigmatic hint that he was aware that his life was in danger. The poignant message has been shared by his friends and followers thinking about the threats that he never spoke of that he may have encountered.
Eyewitness accounts described a sad scene, with people gathered around his body while it lay on the ground at the time the attack took place. The attempts to reach the authorities in the area for a quick action were not met, highlighting the difficulty in dealing with violent acts that occur suddenly. This incident contributes to an alarming pattern of cult-related conflicts in Lagos which was exemplified in the recent incident on the 17th of July 2025. Six people ranging in age from 22 to 54 were detained in Surulere due to their involvement in the murder of a man aged 30 during similar clashes that occurred in Ebute Meta and nearby regions.
While ongoing investigations are conducted, the public is at risk, highlighting the ongoing risk of cult activity and the urgent need for more security measures to safeguard people who want to pursue their interests in Nigeria’s vibrant artistic scene.
