Officers of the Lagos State Police Command have apprehended three suspected cultists cum kidnappers for murdering four different individuals at different times and dumping their bodies in a septic tank in Ikorodu, Lagos.
According to a statement released by Police spokesperson, DSP Bala Elkana, the officers had initially visited the scene following the report of two missing men who were said to have been Bureau de change operators.
Bala stated, “On March 14 at about 5.30p.m., the Lagos State Police Command received a complaint from Ikorodu area that some unidentified persons approached one Alhaji Yakubu Musa and Alhaji Hassan Umaru, both operators of bureau de change at Benson area of Ikorodu and informed them that they had a relation who returned from overseas and needed to exchange $10,000.
“They initially said that payment will be made at a bank at Ikorodu; but on getting to the bank, the suspects moved the operators to an unknown destination and started demanding for ransom from their friends and relatives. That despite paying the sum of N1,600,000 as ransom, the abductors refused to release the victims and nothing more was heard of them. The victims’ phones remained switched off.
“The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Zubairu Muazu, detailed the Commander, Special Anti Robbery Squad to do an in-depth investigation into the matter with a view to rescue the victims and apprehend the suspects.
“Operatives from SARS Ipakodo base led by SP Godfrey Soriwei arrested three suspects, namely, Oluwatosin Olanrewaju, Mayowa Olawuni a.k.a General and Babatunde Idris a.k.a Aloma. The suspects confessed to the commission of the crime and led operatives to their den in Ikorodu where they dumped the corpses in a septic tank.
“Two locally made single barrel guns with five live cartridges, one locally made gun with three ammunition, one locally made revolver pistol with three live ammunition, one cutlass, one axe and some charms were recovered from them.
“Investigation revealed that the suspects had, at various times, used an abandoned company premises as their den, where all their targets were killed and dumped in the septic tank.”
DSP Bala equally mentioned that four decomposing bodies had already been processed for autopsy reports and that the criminals also made confessional statements which revealed that they had killed two rival cult members and dumped their bodies in the tank before they moved that of their kidnap victims.
He continued, “They are currently assisting the Police in the arrest of fleeing members of their gang. Investigation is ongoing, and suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigation is completed.”
Also, read: Extrajudicial Killings: IGP Vows To Punish SARS, Anti-Kidnapping Squad Commanders