Matilda Omonaiye/
Detectives investigating the disappearance of two Bureau de Change operators in Lagos have uncovered a septic tank with four bodies in Ikorodu area of the state.
According to Lagos police spokesman, DSP Bala Elkana, officers exhumed four corpses dumped in the septic tank at Ikorodu for autopsy.
Elkana revealed that the Lagos State commissioner of police (CP) Zubairu Mua’zu had received a complaint from Ikorodu area on March 14 that some unidentified persons approached one Alhaji Yakubu Musa and Alhaji Hassan Umaru who were operators of Bureau de Change at Benson area of Ikorodu and informed them of a relation who returned from abroad and needed to sell $10,000.
Elkana stated: “They initially requested that payment would be made at a Bank in Ikorodu; but on getting to the Bank, the suspects moved the operators to an unknown destination and started demanding for ransom from their friends and relatives.
“That despite paying the sum of One Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira as ransom, the abductors refused to release the victims and nothing more was heard from them.
“The victims’ phones remained switched off. The Commissioner of Police Lagos State CP Zubairu Muazu mni detailed the Commander, Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) to carry out an in-depth investigation into the matter with a view to rescuing the victims and apprehending the suspects.
“Operatives from SARS Ipakodo base led by SP Godfrey Soriwei arrested three suspects, namely: Oluwatosin Olanrewaju “M” 40 years old, Mayowa Olawuni “M” a.k.a General and Babatunde Idris, aka Aloma. The suspects confessed to the commission of the crime and led operatives to their den at Ikorodu where they dumped the corpse in a septic tank.
“Two locally made single barrel guns with five live cartridges, one locally-made gun with three ammunition, one locally made revolver pistol with three live ammunition, one cutlass, one axe and some charms were recovered from them.
“Investigation revealed that the suspects had at various times used the abandoned company as their den, where all their targets are killed and dumped in the septic tank. As part of the investigation, four decomposed bodies were today, 9/5/2019 recovered from the septic tank for autopsy. The suspects confessed to have killed the other two rival cult members and dumped them in the septic tank before killing the two Bureau de Change operators.
“They are currently assisting the police in efforts to arrest other fleeing members of the gang. The investigation is ongoing, suspects will be charged to the Court as soon as investigation is completed.”