The Ogun State Police Command has announced the discovery of shallow graves containing the bodies of Adekunle Ifelaja, a septuagenarian farmer, and Ogunyemi Femi. Both men were allegedly kidnapped and murdered by suspected members of a seven-man gang operating in the Ijebu-Igbo area of Ogun State.
The breakthrough came following the arrest of Chukwuma Bartholomew and Igwe Monday. These suspects are believed to be part of the aforementioned gang responsible for the abductions and subsequent killings.
Mr Omolola Odutola, the Ogun State Police Command's Public Relations Officer, revealed that the arrests were made on Saturday, just five days after the anti-kidnapping squad engaged in a gunfight with suspected kidnappers. The shootout resulted in the death of two kidnappers and the rescue of several victims, including Indian nationals.
According to Ms Odutola, the suspects confessed to the crimes during interrogation. She further stated that the Ogun State Police Commissioner, Abiodun Alamutu, and members of the anti-kidnapping squad were then led to the forest in Ijebu-Igbo where the victims were buried.
"The victims were taken to a forest in Ijebu-Igbo, where shallow graves were dug, and their bodies were buried," Ms Odutola explained. "Following a thorough investigation that led our anti-kidnapping squad to the criminals' hideouts in Ijebu-Igbo on 28 June 2024, the suspects were apprehended."
"After confessing, the suspects took the Police Commissioner and members of the anti-kidnapping unit to the forest where they had buried the victims in order to exhume the bodies," she added.
The police spokesperson linked the suspects to a spate of kidnappings and abductions in Ijebu-Igbo. These acts involved demanding ransom from the victims' families before killing them.
Meanwhile CORPORAL NEWS gathered from online reports from Punch published in November 2023, that "On 23 November 2023, the suspects, acting as part of a criminal syndicate, stormed the home of 34-year-old Femi, abducted him, and took him to an unknown location."
"The gang allegedly filmed Femi and sent the video to his family as a ransom demand."
The police investigation revealed that "the victim was tragically killed despite his family paying the ransom."
"Similarly, the suspects abducted a 71-year-old farmer on 31 December 2023, from Oke-Sopen in Ijebu-Igbo. They reportedly recorded a video of the septuagenarian and sent it to his family via WhatsApp, demanding a ransom for his release. Despite the payment, the farmer was also killed and buried in one of the shallow graves."
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