Suspects sold decapitated heads of murdered policemen for N1000 – Official

The Oyo State Commisioner of Police, Joe Enwonwu, on Friday said two suspects arrested in connection with the killing and dismemberment of some policemen sold two decapitated heads of the murdered cops for N1000.

The police boss said this while parading some of the suspects.

Oladipupo Ifakorede, a male suspect, however, said he bought the two heads for money ritual purpose.

Mr Ifakorede told PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, that he bought the heads for money rituals.

The suspect was arrested along with with two others, Aliu Mubarak and Adewale Abiodun. He confessed that he bought the two heads from Messrs Mubarak and Abiodun.

Murdered in the line of duty

PREMIUM TIMES recalls that two policemen attached to Oyo State Police Command, Ajibola Adegoke and Rotimi Oladele, were among the police officers killed in the aftermath of the EndSARS protests hijacked by suspected hoodlums.

The two policemen were set ablaze after they were killed on Thursday October 22.

The third person who was part of the team, Inspector Ojo, was rescued by Operation Burst, the special security team set up by Oyo State Government.

The hoodlums, after killing the cops, went away with some parts of their bodies.

Police launch manhut, arrest suspects

The police have since arrested five persons in connection with the crime.

The police earlier arrested Kemi Adeyemo and Saheed Oyedepo. Both have been transferred to Abuja for further investigation.

The other three arrested are Messrs Ifakorede, Mubarak and Abiodun.

I bought the heads for rituals – Ifakorede

Mr Ifakorede said he bought the two heads from Messrs Mubarak and Abiodun “to prepare ritual in order to make money”.

“No, they (police) did not ask me to say so. I want to use them to prepare ritual to make money. It is for myself. They (other suspects) did not let me know where they saw the two heads.

“No. I did not ask them where they see them.”

Mr Abiodun also said he and Mr Mubarak sold the two heads to Mr Ifakorede.

He said they saw the two heads “while coming from Egbeda area of Ibadan.”

“On the day of the incident, I was at home, I did not go to work. I was at home, it was this brother that called me. He said that we should go to Alabata.

“When we got to town, we saw that everywhere was blocked. It was deserted. But, we got to the place, this brother said that we should carry the heads but I said no.

“I told him not to carry them, but we carry them. And we took them to this Baba. They have been burnt already when we carried them.”

‘Heads sold for N1000’

Meanwile, the Commisioner of Police, Mr Enwonwu, said five persons have been arrested in connection with the killings.

Mr Enwonwu stated this while parading the suspects on Thursday in Ibadan.

He said the suspects sold the two heads for N1000.

“Discreet investigation later led to the arrest of two other suspects who identified themselves as Aliu Mubarak ‘M’ and Adewale Abiodun ‘M’ who confessed that they carted away the heads of the two policemen which they later sold to an herbalist for ritual purposes for the sum of One thousand naira (N1,000.00) only.

“The herbalist who later identified himself as Oladipupo Ifakorede was arrested and the two heads of the policemen which he has already disembered were recovered from him and he confessed to the crime.

“Efforts are on to arrest other fleeing suspects. Suspects: Aliu Mubarak ‘M’ age 24 years, Adewale Abiodun ‘M’ age 17 years, Oladipupo Ifakorede ‘M’ age 45 years. Exhibits: Two disembered heads.”