SMALL JPRON: FROM DOWNTOWN BOY TO EIYE LEADER — AND THE FINAL CHAPTER Before Ibrahim Oriyomi Balogun, popularly known as Small Jpron, became one of the most feared names associated with cult violence in Somolu and Bariga, he was reportedly just another young man growing up in the area. According to a 2018 Daily Trust retrospective, Jpron was born around the Morocco Road–Apata axis of Somolu, while his father, a commercial bus driver, had a family home around Abeokuta Street in Bariga. As a young man, he reportedly became involved with a neighbourhood youth group known as the Downtown Boys. His early criminal activity allegedly included “obtaining”—the forceful collection of valuables from people on the streets. But the major turning point came in 2009. Jpron later told Lagos police that a close friend, Sunday Folorunsho, popularly known as Small Biscuits, had been k*lled by suspected members of the rival Aiye/Aye confraternity. According to Jpron’s own account, he wanted revenge. That year, he said, he joined the Eiye Confraternity after Eiye members approached him and promised to help identify those responsible for his friend’s death. This is an account attributed to Jpron; the claim about who k*lled Small Biscuits was not independently established in the reports. From there, his reputation grew. Jpron became associated with the Eiye network in Somolu, Bariga and surrounding parts of Lagos. In 2011, he claimed involvement in the deaths of rival figures Femi Wiper and Lekan Akon. Police later accused him of involvement in several other killings and armed-robbery cases. One of the most disturbing allegations came from the January 2016 Somolu-Bariga cult clashes. Police accused Jpron and his gang of setting a house ablaze on Oshinfolarin Street, where 65-year-old Adejoke Adefuye was reportedly trapped and d!ed. Jpron was subsequently arrested and paraded by the Lagos State Police Command. His arrests, however, did not end his story. He was arrested several times, including in 2016 and 2017, and at one point claimed he had abandoned the cult. Police, meanwhile, alleged that he had escaped custody and continued operating in the area. Then, on October 17, 2018, the cycle finally turned against him. At about 5 p.m., a confrontation involving rival Eiye and Aiye members erupted around a political gathering near Obanikoro/Palmgrove on Ikorodu Road. Jpron and Solomon “Solo,” associated with Aiye, were both caught in the violence. Police confirmed that both died from injuries sustained during the clash. A later account gave a more detailed version, alleging that Jpron was shot during the confrontation after pursuing Solo. Because that account came from unnamed sources, the precise circumstances should be treated cautiously. Small Jpron was about 31 when he died. His story had come full circle: a young man who reportedly entered the world of cult violence after losing a friend eventually became one of its most prominent figures—and ultimately lost his own life in the same cycle of rivalry and retaliation. This story is presented for historical and educational purposes. It does not glorify cultism or violence. Some allegations remain disputed. This post condemns cultism and violence. Viewer discretion is advised. - @amebo_of_ilorin