The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a suspected murderer, Olaniyi Abegunde, 34, in connection with the killing of a lady evangelist with the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Imole, Agbeni, Ibadan, Mrs Grace Ajibola.

Abegunde, who is a house painter, allegedly attacked late Ajibola at her Oluyole residence on Tuesday, March 17, and went away with some of her belongings, including three ATM cards.

During the parade of some suspected criminals at the Eleyele Police Command, Ibadan, on Tuesday, the Commissioner of Police, Shina Olukolu, said that Abegunde was an errand boy to the victim.

The CP said,

“He attacked the woman with a wooden object, strangulated her and later carted away her Tecno cell phone and her three ATM cards having discovered a huge sum of money (about N2 million) in the victim’s account when she sent him to withdraw money for her.

“The suspect was later arrested in his hideout in Akure, the Ondo State capital. Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime and explained how he withdrew the sum of N120,000 from the victim’s account.”

Abegunde, a resident of Apata, said,

“I am a painter and I just got married. My wife is pregnant. I had not killed anybody before now. I have no criminal record. I am from Otun-Ekiti in Ekiti State.

“I met the woman when I painted her house. This made her like me. I have been with her for about a year now; I used to run errands for her such as saving money, buying of foodstuff and so on.

“I knew she was rich. I don’t have parents, I don’t move with bad gang. I know two of her children. One lives in Ibadan while the other lives in Lagos. She was not the only one I used to run errend for. I run errands for other elderly people because I like them.

“I strangled the woman to death in her home in the morning. The young one who was living with her had gone to school when I perpetrated the act. I don’t know what actually came on me when I killed her.”

Other suspected criminals who were paraded on Tuesday included a gang of kidnappers who also engaged in robbery, namely, Ibrahim Mohammed, 39-year-old, also called Dogo; Kasimu Salisu, 27; Buhari Musa, 35; Folorunso Elijah; and one other who is simply called Shago.

It was reported that Mohammed and his cronies abducted Mrs Omobola Adepoju and her elder sister, Abiodun Ifeoluwa, at a poultry farm at Badeku Village, Egbeda area of Ibadan on March 16.

According to Olukolu, the hoodlums dispossessed the two sisters of an undisclosed amount of money, their telephone sets and other personal effects after taking them to an unknown location.

The hoodlums released the women after payment of ransom (amount not disclosed). Items that were recovered from the suspects included five Bajaj motorcycles which they used for operation and the sum of N730,000:00.

Also in the police net are Usman Umar, 24; Shaibu Haruna, 20; Lawal Haruna; Usman Haruna, 28; and Aliyu Mohammed, 18, who allegedly specialised in robbery and kidnapping in Oyo town and environs.

They were said to have attacked one Mrs Mary Oyeladun and Deborah, her daughter, at her residence at Bode Thomas Estate in Oyo town with guns cutlasses and other dangerous weapons on March 17.

The police said that they went away with her mobile phone, an undisclosed amount of money and her Toyota Camry car with registration number JBL 204 SA, and also whisked her away to an undisclosed destination.

The CP said,

“They contacted her husband (Reverend Israel Dada) and demanded for ransom. A team of SARS operatives later rescued the victim after her husband had paid the sum of N1 million ransom.”

Other victims that were paraded included three armed robbery syndicates who specialised in snatching commercial motorcycles. The suspected robbers, armed with guns, on April 7, dispossessed Kabiru Adewole of his TVS motorcycle at a desolate spot at Agodi area of Ibadan.

Olukolu said,

“The victim raised the alarm which attracted a team of SARS operatives on routine patrol. Two of the suspected robbers were arrested at the scene while the other escaped with the stolen motorcycle. One double barrel pistol and three cartridges were recovered from the suspects.

The CP, who lamented that some of his men were wounded in the course of operation, urged members of the public against raising false alarm about robbery operation in the state as this could easily dampen the morale of the security operatives.