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The prime suspect arrested in connection with the killings in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, Sunday Shodipe ,19, has narrated how he carried out the murders.
Speaking with newsmen during a parade of suspected criminals at the state police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, on Friday, Shodipe, the suspected serial killer said a certain herbalist who he worked for, Adedokun Yinusa Ajani ,50, was the one sending him on such assignments.
Shodipe said anytime he wanted to go for the operation, the herbalist would instruct him to kneel down in front of him and he (Ajani) would make some incantations and then put something on his tongue three times.
The suspected serial killer said whenever he located his victims, he would hit them with a shovel and when they are down in a pool of their blood, he would make some incantations and move around the body three times and then back it.
He said he would back the body for about five minutes with his eyes closes before leaving the scene.
When asked if he was not afraid that anybody could come around while backing the body, the suspected serial killer said the herbalist had told him that nobody would come around during the period.
Shodipe added that after the operation, he would return to the herbalist, who would make some incantations again.
He confessed that he had carried out five of such operations and anytime he returned to the herbalist, the 50-year-old would buy food for him and would give him N500.
When asked for the reasons for the killings, Sunday said he didn’t know as it was the herbalist who was just sending him on such errands.
The herbalist, Ajani, however denied sending Shodipe to commit the heinous act.
Ajani said Shodipe’s mother brought him to his house some time ago that he was a wayward child and he did some spiritual work for him.
He said that after two months, she returned with Shodipe, asking him to teach the boy how to become a herbalist.
“He had only spent six days with me when I told him to leave because I was not satisfied with his behaviour and it was not long after that that I was arrested by the police,” Ajani added.
Earlier, the state Commissioner of Police, Nwachukwu Enwonwu, had narrated how the police arrested the suspects.
Enwonwu said the crimes coincided with the period he assumed office as the commissioner of police in the state and he immediately swung into action in a bid to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The police commissioner said the mobile phone of one of the victims was recovered from one Shehu Usman by the police,” and upon interrogation, the suspect denied his involvement in the crime but gave useful information which subsequently led to the arrest of Shodipe and Ajani.”
Enwonwu said the suspects were responsible for the killings of Wasilat Adeola, Barakat Bello, Grace Oshiagwu, Mojeed Tirimisiyu, who was just five years old, and the attack on Adeola Azeez and her daughter, Dolapo Oyeyemi, who both survived.
Recovered from the suspects are a hand shovel, a Techno mobile phone, an iPhone X Max and one itel phone.
Four other suspected ritualists arrested at Akinyele local government area were also paraded.
The main suspect, Abiodun Oladejo ,35, was allegedly responsible for the killing of a woman, Oluwasayo Fagbemi, who was killed in front of her house at Sasa area on June 24, while washing plates at about 5:40 a.m.
Three other suspects were also arrested in connection with the killing and another attempted murder case.
Speaking, Oladejo confessed to killing his victim with a stick and wiping her blood with a handkerchief for ritual purpose.
Also among those paraded by the police is a suspected rapist, Idowu Ajayi, who allegedly raped a 42-year-old physically-challenged woman, Kemi Adeniji, with three other suspects who are still at large.
The suspect, however, denied raping the woman, claiming he was in his shop when the incident occurred.