– Local Robbers Terrorizing Akure Area Arrested
FOUR suspected ritualists were apprehended by the Ondo State Police Command at the weekend for allegedly killing a 25-year-old hunchback, Adeoye Dowo, in Ago Alaye village of the state.
The suspects – Samuel Olatunji, Dayo Araromi, Lekan Holo and Oluwatosin Elebile – allegedly conspired and lured Dowo through a lady to the bush where they strangled him to death before removing his hunch.
Addressing reporters in his office, the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Sani Magaji, said Dowo’s father reported that his son was missing and investigations revealed that the victim was kidnapped by Olatunji, who later confessed to the crime during interrogation. Magaji said Olatunji led the police detectives to the scene where the hunchback was murdered and the hunch neatly removed.
Olatunji confirmed his involvement in the crime, saying the victim was lured by a lady to the bush where he and his accomplices strangled him to death and removed his hunch.
“We contacted a herbalist on how to make quick money and he assured us that if we could bring a hunch for ritual, we would become rich and we immediately swung into action by employing some ladies to lure Dowo to where we killed him before removing the hunch.
“We kept the hunch in a plastic (container) and hid it in a bush but unfortunately for us the police traced us and I was apprehended while others ran away.
“Before we got to where we kept the hunch, they had taken it away and I suspected my friends took it in order not to leave any trace.”
But the herbalist, Oluwatosin Elebile, denied his involvement in the crime, saying the suspects only came to him for assistance.
The police said efforts are on to arrest the missing suspects, while two others – Oyeleyinbo Patrick and Fatunwa Tunde – were arrested at the herbalist’s house for unlawful possession of firearms.
Some of the items recovered from the two suspects include one handgun and a dane gun with five live cartridges.
In another development, one Sunday James and others allegedly terrorizing residents of Akure and its environs have been arrested by the men of the anti-robbery squad.
The other suspects – Yohanna Francis, Mohammed Ismaila, Usman Abubakar and Mutari Buda – were allegedly behind the robbery that took place along the Emure Eporo Road earlier this year where a police Inspector was killed. The police also arrested some suspected cattle rustlers in Akure, the state capital.