The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Mr Nwachukwu Enwonwu, on Wednesday said the abduction of a female farmer, Modupeoluwa Oyetoso, and the killing of her fiancé, Opeoluwa Oladipo, was masterminded by her farm guard who also shot the farmer’s fiance.
Enwonwu spoke at a parade of criminal suspects in the state, including Sunday Shodipe, the alleged serial killer and prime suspect arrested in the multiple killings in the Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Oyetoso had recently tweeted how her fiancé was shot dead by the hoodlums who kidnapped her.
The CP said, “The suspected kidnappers opened fire at a Toyota Highlander with number plate, KTU 43DS, and killed one Opeoluwa Oladipo, while one Modupeolu Oyetoso was abducted. The kidnappers later demanded a ransom of N100m.
“Concerted efforts put in place led to the arrest of one Abubakar Mohammadu at his hideout. A search was conducted and one mobile phone and N22,500 was recovered from him.
“Mohammadu confessed to the crime and this led to the arrest of the security guard at the victims’ farm, Ayankunle Ayanleye.
“He stated that Ayanleye contacted the two other members of the gang now at large. He said Ayanleye fired the gunshot that killed Oladipo.”
On Shodipe, Enwonwu, said the suspect went back to Akinyele and killed another person after he escaped from the police custody.
The CP said suspect escaped from the police custody on August 11 and killed one Mrs Funmilayo Oladeji at her home two days after.
He said the suspect, who was standing trial, would soon be taken to a correctional centre in the state.
The CP said, “He said he escaped from custody when an inspector attached to the Mokola Police Division gave him the permission to take his bath on the premises of the station.
“He also confessed that on August 13, around 2.30pm, he attacked one Mrs Funmilayo Oladeji in her house at Onikeke community in Akinyele.”
When Shodipe was asked where he went to after his escape, he said he went to Akinyele and confessed that he killed the woman there.
“I hit her with a machete on the head,” he added.
The CP said the suspect was kept in police custody because of space constraint in the prisons due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Also, suspects arrested in connection with the robbery attack on the Okeho branch of First Bank were paraded, as well as the residents who facilitated how they got accommodation in the town before the operation; and those who were caught taking cash after the robbery.
PUNCH NG
