Oyo State Police Command has paraded the accused killer, Sunday Shodipe, who was re-arrested on August 23, 2020, after he escaped from police custody on August 11.
Shodipe and other suspects were paraded on Wednesday, August 26, 2020, by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu at the command headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan.
The Commissioner of Police, who said the police had put in so much efforts to keep criminals at bay, stated that the escape of Shodipe posed a challenge for the state command.
But he expressed joy that the efforts of police tactical teams had yielded fruits and led to the arrest of the serial killer and others.
During his interview with journalists, Shodipe confessed to killing a woman, Mrs Funmilayo Oladeji at Akinyele area on August 13 after he escaped from police custody.
He further disclosed that the herbalist he was initially arrested, and with whom he was being kept in police custody, Mr Yinusa Adedokun, suggested his escape move.
The serial killer said that Adedokun was always complaining that he had revealed too much about their activities.
According to Shodipe, “Baba Yinusa (Adedokun’s) wives used to bring kolanuts and gin to him while we were in custody, and he would do incantations before taking them. But I didn’t know what he was doing with those things.
“When the police noticed his action, they stopped the wives from bringing those items, and he began to say that the spirits would feast on his blood if he didn’t take the gin.”
He said that Adedokun started to persuade a policeman to let him get a bottle of gin, but he did not yield to his request.
Continuing, the serial killer said: “Adedokun later started to plead with the police that we should be allowed to take our bath.
“Initially, they didn’t agree, but Baba Yinusa said one of the policemen would soon agree.
“Truly, after a few days, we were allowed to take our bath in twos. We were eight in number.
“When it was my turn, Adedokun told me not to forget what he had discussed with me to seize the opportunity to escape. He also added that I should go to Akinyele area to attack someone and mention his name after committing the act.
“He said that particular act would protect his life, as he was not doing what he was supposed to be doing, due to his incarceration.
“I took the last turn to have my bath at about 7:00p.m., and when I noticed that the policeman was distracted, I jumped out and escaped.”
Okeho Bank Robbery Suspects…
Also paraded were suspects allegedly involved in a bank robbery in Okeho, at Oke-Ogun area of the state on July 29.
The Okeho suspects were identified as Mohammed Ibrahim (25), Mohammed Iliasu (33), Hammed Lukman (26), Mohammed Jamiu Abdulmaleek (30), Azeez Yinusa (42), Adekunle Sunmonu (52), Okorie Friday (27), Akanni Olaniyi (28) and Nwali Sunday.
Ibrahim, Iliasu, Lukman and Abdulmaleek were said to be robbery gang members, while Yinusa and Adekunle allegedly assisted the robbery syndicate in renting accommodation where they stayed for several days in the town before striking at the bank.
Friday, Olaniyi and Sunday allegedly stole the cash and other valuable items taken from the bank by the robbers after four of its gang members were lynched by the mob not far from the crime scene.
Recovered from the bank robbery suspects were four AK-47 rifles, three assault rifles, 18 AK-47 live ammunition and six Ak-47 magazines, while seven expended AK-47 ammunition were recovered from the scene of the robbery.
It will be recalled that the robbery gang killed one Sergeant Moses Obahi, a mobile police officer attached to the bank.
After the killing, they were said to have blown the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and had gone to the bank’s vault to cart an unspecified amount of Nigerian currency, said to be in several million.
While some of the armed robbers were operating in the bank, other gang members reportedly went to Okeho police station to attack policemen on duty, to stop them from foiling their activity.
But nemesis caught up with them, as four gang members were burnt to death by members of vigilance group who had blocked all exit routes in the town.
Reporters At Large learnt that another tragedy occurred the following day when the state Commissioner of Police, Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu paid a visit to the town with his officers and men for assessment.
Despite warning by the anti-bomb squad that residents should move away from unused explosive devices, one of the indigenes struck one of the devices with a cutlass, sustaining serious injuries.
As he was being rushed to the hospital, a gunshot reportedly came from a member of the community, hitting a police escort of the police commissioner, Sergeant Ogunleye Zacchaeus, who died while being rushed to the hospital.
Enwonwu said during the press briefing that a team of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), led by its Commander, CSP Sola Aremu, and a group of local hunters embarked on a manhunt for the suspects, leading to the arrests of the suspects.
The Commissioner of Police disclosed that Shodipe would be handed over to the correctional facility, where he was supposed to be kept, but placed in police custody because of COVID-19.
