Femi Oladele, the prime suspect in the alleged kidnapping and murder of two students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, has died in police custody.
The spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed the development on Saturday.
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Mr Oladele (a.k.a Tallex), a popular landlord in Akungba, had one of the victims, John Abbah, as his tenant.
He was alleged to have masterminded the abduction of Mr Abbah and his friend Andre Okah, who were robbed before they were murdered. Ms Okah was also raped before she was murdered.
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Detectives of the police command had earlier arrested other suspects, including Ojo Michael, one of the abductors, and Abdul Mubarak, who bought the iPhone 14 Pro Max belonging to one of the victims.
Mr Ayanlade, a deputy superintendent of police, said the suspect was taken to the hospital after he fell ill, but died at the hospital.
He said the suspect had been in and out of the hospital following treatment before he died on Friday.
“Yes, he’s dead. Following his arrest, the suspect (Oladele) had been in and out of the hospital under close medical supervision and was receiving adequate care before he died in the early hours of yesterday.
“As of now, the decomposing remains of Okah have been recovered, while efforts are ongoing to locate Abba’s body,” he said.
New arrests
Mr Ayanlade explained that two additional suspects identified as Kola and Micheal, who allegedly withdrew N800,000 from the late Mr Abba’s account, had been arrested and are currently in custody, fully cooperating with investigation.
“So, we are asking members of the public to disregard any distorted narratives seeking to divert attention from the facts and the command can assure that justice will be fully pursued and all those involved will be made to face the full weight of the law,” Mr Ayanlade said.
“Although we deeply sympathise with the families, friends, and academic communities of the victims, we remain unwavering in our commitment to justice and public safety.”
The spokesperson said the command had strengthened security across all higher institutions in the state through increased patrols, undercover surveillance, and community politicing initiatives.
Students union’s demands
Meanwhile, the AAUA Students Union Government (SUG) has expressed disbelief on the death of Mr Oladele and issued an ultimatum to the police to produce the body of the suspect.
In a statement on Saturday, the SUG President, Salami Akeem; General Secretary, Bakare Abiodun and the PRO, Ajidagba Mosadoluwa, said the sudden death of the suspect in police custody buttresses the need for transparency and accountability by the police.
“In light of this, the Students’ Union is demanding that the Nigerian Police immediately produce the body of the deceased suspect. We are giving the police a strict ultimatum of three (3) hours from the release of this statement to comply with this demand,” the statement read.
“The Students’ Union further insists on a transparent, fair, and timely investigation into the killings. We believe that justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done. This is the least owed to the grieving families, the AAUA community, and the general public.
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“We also request that all findings related to this case be made public and handled with the highest level of integrity. The Nigerian Police must act with full responsibility, professionalism, and commitment to justice.
“We are bringing this demand directly to the attention of the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal. We reiterate that our demands must be met within the given time frame in order not to result in a mass demonstration by all the students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko and other concerned Nigerian students.
“This protest will be carried out physically as enshrined in our rights as citizens, to demand transparency, accountability, and the proper handling of this sensitive matter. The Adekunle Ajasin University Students’ Union remains resolute in its commitment to protecting the welfare and dignity of its members,” the union said.
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