Funke Busari
The suspected ritual killer who was arrested in Akinyele area of Ibadan, and escaped from police custody in Oyo State, Sunday Shodipo has reportedly killed another woman in the community.
Meanwhile, the Alakinyele of Akinyele, Oba James Odeniran has urged the Police for a thorough investigation to unveil those police officers who were involved in allowing Shodipo to escape from custody.
Earlier, the Oyo State Police Command on 17th July had paraded the prime suspect alongside two others in connection with the killing of people at Akinyele Local Government Area of Ibadan where not less than eight persons were killed in the same manner in the area, thereby making the community look like a death zone.
The latest incident happened on Saturday when the fugitive suspect sneaked into the room of a woman called Funmilayo (Iya Ibeji) and smashed her head with an object believed to be a cutlass.
The victim’s friend was said to have alerted neighbours and they rushed her to a private hospital, where they stitched her head but later referred her to the University College Hospital because of the severity of the injuries.
The victim was rejected because of lack of bed space.
In an effort to save her life, she was later taken to Adeoyo Hospital at Ring Road where she died as a result of lack of proper medical attention.
Another of the victim’s friend, Medinat Amusat, told journalists that, “We were together outside the house around 12:00p.m before we went to take our bath.
“When I finished taking my bath around 3:00p.m and i came out to cook, suddenly the children in the compound came and told me that snake has bitten Iya Ibeji.
“I rushed to her room and I saw her in the pool of her blood with her face wrapped with cotton and blood was still gushing out from her head. I quickly raised alarm and called the neighbours and we rushed her to a private hospital.”
Father of Barakat, a victim of the suspect, Kazeem Bello, who also rushed to the scene of the incident, narrated how a relative told him that Shodipo was the killer of his daughter.
He narrated, “A relative called me that Shodipo was sighted at Akinyele Elewure Market but I said that it is not possible. But when they insisted that they saw him, I have to go there by myself.
“When I got there he has left but those who saw him showed me his picture on their phones. I went to meet the king, Alakinyele of Akinyele and narrated the story meanwhile the king could not believe my story too until he put a phone call to a senior police officer in Iyaganku police station who confirmed to him that the suspect has escaped from their custody three days back.”
The Alakinyele of Akinyele, Oba James Odeniran, said while he was wondering how the suspect, Sunday Shodipo could have escaped from the hands of the police despite being seen taken around with his legs chained.
Hence, he noted that there was a need for a thorough investigation by the police to detect those police officers who were complicit to allowing Shodipo to escape from custody.
According to the monarch, the escape of a suspected serial killer from police custody pointed to the fact that no one was safe in the country.
“He was arrested and confessed to killing about eight persons in Akinyele. When another killing was recorded, he was seen around just before the killing.
“How did someone in the custody of the police escape? That points to something fishy. Immediately, the suspect escaped, the first thing we expected was for the police to declare the suspect wanted.
“He was being taken around with his legs chained. We are therefore surprised to hear that he escaped. No one is safe in Nigeria if a suspect can escape from police custody.
He expressed further, “The killer is not an indigene of Akinyele; he comes in here to do the dastardly acts. He said he and his parents used to live in Moniya. We enjoin our police to be more serious with their duties. They have some betrayers among them and they should fish them out.”
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Police Command Public Relations Officer Olugbenga Fadeyi on Monday has assured of intensive investigation.
Speaking on the development either the recent killing was in connection with the escaped serial killer,
