By Augustine Ehikioya
Police officials in Ogun State have arrested seven members of a serial ritual killer syndicate in different parts of Abeokuta metropolis.
The seven arrested suspects included; Lekan Oladipupo ‘m’ 38yrs of Sotan village, Sulaiman Aremu ‘m’ 30yrs of Imala Elega, Abeokuta, Ifayemi Madru ‘m’ 24yrs of Sotan village, Shittu Saheed m’ 38yrs of Alarugbo village, Samod Sulaiman ‘m’ 35 yrs of Sotan village, Akanji Moruf ‘m’ 23 yrs of Alabata village and Tajudeen Adekunle ‘m’ 36yrs of Sapon Abeokuta.
A statement by the PPRO, Ogun State Police Command, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, and made available to Security Watch Africa (SWA), said they were arrested following a report lodged at Bode Olude Divisional headquarters by one Abraham Okosun.
The informant had reported that “he visited his brother one Sunday Okosun at Agbara village via Mawuko Abeokuta, only to discover that his brother has been brutally murdered by unknown person(s), and his remains had been dismembered.
“Upon the report, the DPO Bode Olude Division, DSP Durojaye Rotimi, who visited the scene with his crack detectives there and then embarked on intelligence based investigation to unravel those behind the dastardly act.
“Acting on a credible information, the detectives traced and apprehended Lekan Oladipupo, who on interrogation confessed been the actual person who shot and killed the deceased with his Danegun.
“His confession led to the arrest of the other six suspects. On interrogation, each of the suspects narrated their respective roles in gruesome murder of the deceased and others who have been killed in similar circumstances.
“Lekan Oladipupo informed the Police that his own role is to look for their victim, usually in the bush around Mawuko area and shot such unfortunate person to death.
“He will then contact Sulaiman Aremu, who will butcher the corpse of the victim and remove vital parts to be distributed to their standby customers.”
The statement named the customers to include “Ifayemi Badru who bought the heart, hands and other parts of the body, Shittu Saheed bought the head, Akanji Moruf bought the heart of another of their victims while Tajudeen Adekunle bought the head.”
It said that the suspects confessed to have killed not less than four persons in similar circumstances and that their bodies parts were used for money making ritual.
They also informed the Police that they have code names for each human part whenever they want to request for it from their butcher man.
“For example, they normally referred to human head as ball, the heart as transformer, while the hands is code named as fans,” it said.
It also disclosed that the gun and cutlass they used for the dastardly act have been recovered.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, the statement said described the incident as height of man inhumanity to man and ordered that the suspects be transferred to Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, “for discreet investigation with the view to charge them to court as soon as possible.”
Another statement by the Command revealed that a notorious serial killer was also arrested.
It said “Men of Ogun State Police Command on the 6th of December, 2021 arrested a notorious serial killer Ibiyemi Wasiri who has been on the wanted list of the command in connection with two murder cases.
“The suspect who is an ex-convict was arrested following an information received at Ilaro Divisional headquarters that the suspect has been sighted in one criminal hideout at Igboro area of Ilaro.
“Upon the information, the DPO Ilaro Division, CSP Olayemi Jacob quickly mobilized his men and moved to the scene, where the suspect who was in the midst of some hoodlums was arrested, while others escaped.
“A bag found with him was searched and one cut to size locally made pistol and seven live cartridges was recovered there in,” the statement said.
It went on “The suspect who has been declared wanted by the command for actively participating in the killing of one Michael Abiodun a.k.a S1 on the 22nd of July, 2021 and one Kola Fagbemi on the 24th of July, 2021 confessed to have bought the gun from neighboring Benin Republic.
“He was said to be a member of a dreaded Eiye cult group terrorizing Ilaro and its environs.”
The Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, the statement said, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.