- Ibadan Police Commissioner begs Residents to, again, help be on a lookout, re-arrest, and handover suspect to his men
The Nigerian Police has given details of how the suspected serial killer in Ibadan, largest city in West Africa, 19-year-old Sunday Shodipe, escaped from its “lawful” custody.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Gbenga Fadeyi, who quoted the Police Commissioner, Mr. Joe Enwonwu, to have goven the details, maintained that Enwonwu “implored the general public to be on the lookout, arrest and immediately inform the officers and men of the command when sighted for immediate handing over for further action.”
Residents of Oyo State on Sunday, August 16, woke up to the news that a 19-year-old suspect, Sunday Shodipe, who allegedly killed five people at the Akinyele community of Ibadan, had escaped from police custody.
Shodipe, who was last month paraded along with two other suspects, openly confessed to how he killed about five persons with a shovel in the Akinyele area.
The prime suspect, whose arrest was hailed as a breather to the apprehensive residents of the area, had confessed before journalists that he was sent by a herbalist through spiritual machination to hack down his victims, mostly females, with a shovel on their heads and later mysteriously disappear. Upon returning to the herbalist, he said he would be given N500 and food already bought for him.
The PPRO), SP Fadeyi, who quoted the Police Commissioner, Mr. Joe Enwonwu, said that Shodipe was remanded in the police custody “but on 11th August escaped from lawful custody.”
He said: “The suspect, who had been charged to court, escaped from lawful custody on the 11th of August, 2020.”
The PPRO urged the public to be on the lookout and inform the police command about any information that could aid his re-arrest.
He said: “The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu, psc, wishes to state that the prime suspect in the serial killings at Akinyele Local Government Area, Moniya, Ibadan area of Oyo State, Sunday Shodipe ‘m’ 19 years, who was arrested and paraded along with two others at the Oyo State Police Command on 17th July, 2020 and later charged to court but remanded in police custody, escaped from lawful custody on 11/08/2020.
“Consequent upon this, the CP wishes to implore the general public to be on the lookout, arrest and immediately inform the officers and men of the command when sighted for immediate handing over for further action.
“He further seizes this opportunity to appeal to any member of the public with credible information as to the whereabouts of the assailant not to hesitate in passing same to the Oyo State Police Command to assist in the apprehension of the offender who is now at large.
“The CP wishes to unequivocally state that the command is committed to the protection of lives and properties of the good people of Oyo State.
He therefore assures that adequate security measures have been emplaced to enable all and sundry transact their lawful businesses in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity, move from one place to another without any fear or molestation from any individual or groups as he sternly warns criminal elements to steer clear of Oyo State.
“He further advises angry youths/ mobs against taking laws into their hands by carrying out jungle justice when suspected criminals are arrested, but such suspect(s) should be handed over to the police. The photograph of Sunday Shodipe ‘m’ 19 years old is hereby attached for ease of identification.”
Recall that in the last one month, five persons have been killed in mysterious circumstances in the said local government.
Barakat Bello, an 18-year-old student was raped and killed in her home on June 2.
On June 5, a pregnant woman, Azeezat Shomuyiwa’s head was smashed with a stone.
On June 13, Grace Oshiagwu, a female student of Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, was killed inside a church in the local government.
On June 24, a 42-year-old married woman, Mrs. Olusayo Fagbemi, was hacked to death in front of her home, and on June 22, a 5 year-old-boy, Mujeeb, was also hacked to death inside his compound.
