By Ayodele Popoola

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The Ondo State Police Command said it has arrested two suspects in connection with the killing of a security guard at Titolu filling station in Akure, and eight other suspects for various offenses of rape, defiling,arson, armed robbery and kidnapping.

Parading the suspects yesterday at the command’s headquarters, Igbatoro, Akure, the Police Commissioner, Oyeyemi Adesoye Oyediran disclosed to newsmen that four suspects were nabbed for murder including a father and son , 32-year-old Akinfemi Ebiwumi , a.k.a Espayol and his accomplice Mayowa Iletura, 42.

The CP said intelligence gathering also led to the arrest of Koku Sunday, and Koffi  Friday, over their involvement in the murder of a security guard attached to a filling station in Igoba, Akure and arson.

Highlighting the arrest made, the Police boss said the case of arson and murder was reported at Osi Divisional headquarters on July 4, 2022, in which the complainant stated that she was alerted via phone that her filling station, Titolu was on fire.

“On getting to the station with Fire fighters, the complainant realized her security guard, Dandan Sunday, had been killed with his hands and legs tied.

The Police boss said the arrests of the suspects were made in the last months in various parts of the state.

According to CP Oyediran, on August 4, 2022, the command also received a complaint at Kajola Division that an offensive odour was oozing out from the room of one Olaolu Falowo ‘m’ aged 26, located at Kuseru Village via Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

“The suspect was in police custody for a case of attempted car theft. When a search was conducted in his house, human limbs; two legs and two hands with a human skull in a sack was recovered from his father’s house.

“The suspect claimed the deceased was a mad man, who was sick and about dying in the forest. So, he killed him to reduce his pains and took part of his body to use it for sacrifice.

“However, a family member of the deceased refuted the suspect’s statement that his brother, a farmer, was hail and hearty. And that he went to farm at Kuseru village.

“ The suspects; father and son, are in police custody,” the CP stated.

Also on November 2021, the Police boss said one Iwatan Bamitale, went to the land of one Mr. Ogunsemore and while measuring the land, the owner challenged him and asked what he was doing on his land.

CP Oyediran added,”The said Bamitale left and came back the following day with some of his gang members. They attacked the owner of the land and in the process shot at his son, Esau Ogunsemore and carried him away.

“The duo of Mayowa Iletuwa ‘m’, aged 41 and Akinwumi Ebifemi (a.k.a Espayol) ‘m’,32, who were part of the people who attacked the land owner were arrested.

“During investigation, it was discovered that the aforementioned were involved in several cases bothering on similar offences in which one Iwatan Bamidele and seven others had earlier been arrested and charged to Court for murder and conspiracy which included killing of a Policeman on November 18, 2021.

“Subsequently, one 38-year-old man, Gbenga Ogunsemore and Rire Ayomide ‘m’, 33 were later arrested in connection with the case by policemen attached to FCID, Alagbon, Lagos State.

In a kidnapping case,  the duo of Olaoye Oluwatosin ‘m’ aged 35 and Taiwo Olamide ‘m’ aged 35, were said to have attacked and kidnapped one Mrs. Akinloye Folashade ‘F’, from her shop at Ofosu area on August 28 at about 11:40pm.

Oyeyemi said men of the Command attached to Ofosu Division, who were informed, immediately gave the suspects a hot chase and eventually apprehended them.

In the case of defilement, the Police boss said that a complaint of defilement was reported at Okitipupa Division on August 19, 2022 that two children (names withheld) of about four years old were playing in their compound at Ikoya/Ilutitun road, Okitipupa, when one Arije Dare ‘m’ went to their house to get water.

He was said to have met the children in the house and lured them to an uncompleted building, where he defiled them.

“Three days after, one of the girls complained of pains. So, when her mother inquired what happened, she explained her ordeal and mention the suspect as the culprit

“Investigation revealed that the suspect was released from a correctional facility barely three days before the incident, he said”

According to him, the suspects confessed to the commission of the crime, and effort is ongoing to arrest others at large while the arrested suspects would be charged to court.

Items recovered from the suspects included, one single barrel gun, the sum of N69,000 and a phone.