Driving instructor ‘rapes, strangles corps member’

A 29-year-old driving instructor, Festus Udo, has been arrested by police in Ogun for allegedly raping and strangling a female youth corps member.

The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ilyasu, who led journalists on Wednesday to the scene of the crime‎ at Abule Ayo area in Mawuko, Odeda local government of the state, said the suspect had confessed.

The decomposed body of the victim, 23-year-old Modupe Taiyese, was found at the scene in the forest.

Mr. Ilyasu said the suspect was a driving instructor‎ with Lizzy Driving School, Abeokuta, where the victim registered to learn driving.

He said Mr. Udo, an indigene of ‎Oromi in Edo State, on Saturday lured the corps member into the bush with the promise of giving her a driving permit.

The commissioner said police received complaint of a missing person from the coordinator of the NYSC in the state, John Okon, and immediately went into action.

“We went for a powerful, technical screening of fact left behind by the last person she made contact with, who is the suspect,” Mr. Iliyasu said.
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“Technically the information led to one person by name Festus Udoh, an indigene of Oromi from Edo state, who was teaching this innocent deceased corper, Taiyese Modupe, how to drive,” he said.

“We were able to uncover this nefarious act and he led us to this place and confessed,” the commissioner said.

“The man tactically and deceitfully convinced her on Saturday evening that her driving permit is ready.

“She decided to answer to his call and he cleverly and deceitfully apprehended this lady and brought her down to this forest where he had a forceful, illegal and unlawful carnal knowledge of her and thereafter strangled her to death,” Mr. Ilyasu said.

He said operatives were given “a matching order” to make a breakthrough in the case given the national importance of the case, since the victim was a corps member.

“The passport photographs of the suspect were found at the scene of the incident which is a remarkable scene of crime evidence,” he said.

The suspect, who spoke to journalists, admitted the crime.

“After I took her to this place, I told her that I wanted to have sex with her, she said no, but I dragged her into the bush and had sex with her,” Mr. Udoh confessed.

“After having sex with her, she said she will tell her family; that was when I tore her cloth and used it to strangle her neck, as she was gasping, I now ran away,” he said.