On Sunday, the Ondo State Police Command announced that it had captured at least 18 people who had been causing fear among the state's residents.
The individuals were reportedly engaged in offenses such as robbery, murder, kidnapping, cultism, and burglary.
At the command's headquarters in Akure, the state capital, the State Commissioner of Police, Abayomi Oladipo, stated that the suspects were apprehended as part of the command's efforts to rid the state of criminal activities.
The CP revealed that one of the suspects, Babalola Daniel, admitted to killing five people, including his friend Opeyemi Oyelakin.
The CP stated that after murdering the victims, the suspect would take their commercial motorcycles and sell them.
The police chief added that Daniel was also involved in ritual activities, as he reportedly removed body parts from some of his victims and sold them to herbalists. The commissioner mentioned that the herbalists had also been arrested.
He mentioned, “Following the arrest of Babalola Dolapo Daniel, who led police detectives to a shallow grave at Okeigbo where the body of Opeyemi Oyelakin, a commercial motorcyclist, was dug up, other suspects have been detained in connection with the case.
“Further investigation revealed that the suspect had killed four individuals in different locations and stolen their motorcycles. In April 2023, he murdered a motorcyclist in Kabba, Kogi State, and in Ife along Ilesha road in Osun State, and removed body parts for rituals.
“In June 2023, he murdered another motorcyclist in Ondo town and left the body on a farm at Oboto bush along Bolorunduro road, Ondo town, while in October 2023, he and one Sikiru Mutiu aka S.K, deceived his childhood friend Joel Olagoke, to take them with his motorcycle to a location where he was killed. His body was dismembered and given to herbalists; Mujeeb Lawal and Shina Ojo (both in police custody), for rituals.”
The CP added that “Abiola Toheeb and Ayegbajeje Micheal, who receive stolen items, and Oyediran Olaitan, who assists in creating fake documents to facilitate the sale of stolen motorcycles, have been arrested. Seven motorcycles have been recovered from the receivers while one suspect is still on the run.”
One of the suspects, Daniel, admitted, “I have killed five individuals, including my cousin and my friend, and snatched their motorcycles. I killed my friend Opeyemi and sold the motorcycle to a man in Ibadan named Toheed. I do not sell human parts, but I took part of one of my victims’ bodies to an herbalist in Ondo who promised to give me an Ifa Oracle.”
Describing his modus operandi, the suspect stated that when stealing the motorcycles from the victims, he would strike them on the head with a stone or big stick.
“When we steal the motorcycles, any victim who resisted would be struck on the head with a big stone or stick,” he explained.
The police commissioner, who mentioned that seven of the stolen motorcycles have been recovered, stated that the suspects will soon face charges in court.