A 38-year-old man, Bernard Ojodale Ajogwu, has alleged that he was forcibly drawn into a violent confraternity, subjected to brutal punishment, and is now living in fear in Nigeria following the killing of his mother.
Ajogwu, who hails from Jattu in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, said his ordeal began in April 2025 during his search for employment.
According to him, he was introduced to a group known as the Maphite confraternity on April 25, 2025, by Musa Aliuy, whom he identified as a political aide to Philip Shaibu.
He claimed he was promised strong political connections and access to influential individuals within and outside Edo State.
He alleged that on May 25, 2025, he was initiated into the group and made to swear an oath with blood, with strict warnings never to disclose the group’s secrets.
Ajogwu said he was told there was no turning back and was subsequently exposed to the internal activities and operations of the confraternity.
According to his account, his first assignment involved participating in a violent operation to eliminate a prominent political figure allegedly linked to a rival cult group.
He claimed the operation was successful, but when he later asked about the promises made to him, a leader of the group warned that such questions could cost him his life.
Ajogwu said the experience left him traumatised and fearful, describing the group’s activities as centred on killing and destruction.
He alleged that on August 24, 2025, he was assigned to lead another operation outside Edo State, this time involving a planned raid on an entire family in a neighbouring state. He said he refused to participate.
Following his refusal, Ajogwu claimed a meeting was convened to address what the group described as his disloyalty.
He alleged that on August 30, 2025, he was brutally assaulted and had one of his fingers severed as punishment.
He said he was labelled a betrayer and threatened with death if he revealed any information about the confraternity.
He further alleged that after the incident, he began living in constant fear and relocated from his community. Despite reporting the matter to the police and seeking refuge in a church where he renounced his alleged membership, Ajogwu said he continued to receive threatening phone calls.
Tragedy struck, he claimed, on November 23, 2025, when members of the confraternity allegedly killed his mother in her home as a warning to him. Ajogwu said the group vowed to kill him as well, insisting that there was no hiding place for him in the country due to their nationwide reach.
Ajogwu said he is currently still in Nigeria, moving from place to place for safety, and has appealed to security agencies and relevant authorities to investigate his claims and provide protection, as he fears further attacks on his life.