The mystery surrounding the death of a popular hotelier in Ogun State has been unraveled, as the state police command has arrested a murder suspect, Misipode Dosu, a 20-year-old herbalist.
The arrest was made after months of painstaking investigation by detectives of the police command, according to a statement by the police spokesman in the state command, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi.
The owner of the popular J.B Hotel in Owode-Yewa, Alhaji Jimoh Bello, was found dead in the boot of his Toyota Camry car on May 29, 2020.
The car was said to have been parked at Omo-Ilu Owotedo area, via Idiroko town in the state.
Oyeyemi stated that residents of the area started suspecting foul play when an offensive odour was perceived from the vehicle parked in their area.
The PPRO said that the residents reported their suspicion at Idiroko police station, which took detectives to the scene.
“When the police got to the scene, the car door was forced open and the corpse of the deceased was discovered in the boot of the car.
“The case was subsequently transferred to the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation, with a clear mandate to fish out the killers,” the PPRO said.
Reporters At Large learnt that one CSP Femi Olabode-led team embarked on intelligence and technical-based investigation, which led to the arrest of the young herbalist.
He was said to have been the last person seen with the deceased.
Oyeyemi said: “On interrogation, the suspect confessed that the deceased contracted him for a money-making ritual, for which he billed him the sum of N300,000, with the deceased paying N250,000 out of it.
“After some time, the deceased started pressurizing him that he had not seen any positive outcome of the ritual.
“Out of fear that the deceased might report him to the police for obtaining money from him under false pretence, the suspect invited him to come for the final stage of the ritual process at Idiroko.
“On getting there, he gave Alhaji Bello a concoction prepared with a poisonous substance to eat, and the man slumped and died immediately he ate the concoction.
“The suspect then put the deceased in his car boot, drove it to a distance, and parked it at the place where the corpse was recovered.”
The PPRO stated further that the state Commissioner of Police, Edward A. Ajogun has directed that the suspect be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction as soon as the investigation is concluded.
