Matilda Omonaiye/
The Lagos state police command today recorded a major breakthrough in its investigation of prevalent cases of ritual murder, especially those perpetrated by members of the notorious badoo cult.
The command also disclosed the arrest of a couple for alleged complicity in the murder of their four-year-old daughter, whose name was not disclosed, for ritual.
The commissioner of police, Fatai Owoseni, made these known at a press conference in Ikeja, where they also paraded the alleged killers of a police inspector, Musa Sunday, who went missing last October, during an assignment in Ibeju-Kekki area.
The suspects include a traditional ruler in the state, Chief Olusegun Oyiri.
Owoseni said police have finally succeeded in arresting a suspected member of the badoo cult with substantial evidence, noting that the development presented a major clue in the efforts to unmask the cult.
He said the suspect was arrested in a Cherubim and Seraphim church at Ipakodo in Agbowa, while attempting to attack a female victim where she was resting after a prayer vigil.
He said the suspect, who is a Muslim named Ahmed Adeleke, disguised as a member of the white garment church to perpetrate the evil act.
He further disclosed that the paraphernalia of members of the badoo cult, including three handkerchiefs of different colours and a grinding stone, were recovered from the suspect.
Owoseni said the victim woke up as the suspect was about attacking her and raised the alarm that attracted other worshippers.
Policemen from Ipakodo division were subsequently invited to arrest the suspect.
He said the command was confident of getting valuable information that would aid the arrest of leaders of the cult from the suspect.
Owoseni stated: “The police were alerted to a situation at the C&S church, Orioke at Ipakodo area of Agbowa, where a female worshipper had woken up and shouted that she noticed a fellow, who had worshipped with them in a vigil the previous night, using an object similar to the tool being used by the serial killers around Ikorodu to hit her head.
“And of course other worshippers in the church, including the pastor, raised the alarm which led to the Divisional Police Officer in Ipakodo to quickly rush to the scene and in the process the suspect named Ahmed Adeleke was arrested. During interrogation, he denied the allegation. But we have relied on the evidence of the victim, who saw him and also identified him positively. Also, an immediate search of the area led to a recovery of a blood-stained white garment belonging to the suspect, which we are analysing scientifically. Also found in his possession were three handkerchiefs of different colours, one white, one red and one blue. The grinding stone with which he had hit the girl on the head was also recovered.
“We believe strongly that this fellow could be one positive arrest with substantial evidence that could open up the doors for other arrests. He has been under interrogation and we have checked all his alibi. He has never worshipped in that church until that day. He is actually of the Islamic faith and claimed he had just converted to Christianity. He said he went far away from where he resides and works to attend vigil in that church.”
But the 28-year-old suspect in a chat with journalists countered: “I only went to the church to worship. I live at No. 9 Ojokoro street, Agric area, Ikorodu and I work as a hair stylist. After the vigil, I went outside to ease myself and by the time I came back into the church, they had started shouting badoo. I do not know where the blood they found on my prayer garment came from. I removed it immediately after the vigil and kept it in my bag. Maybe the blood came from the wounds I sustained while they were beating me before the police arrived. It is true that I used to be a Muslim but I have since converted to Christianity. It was one of my seniors in my place of work that invited me for the church programme, but I was surprised that the fellow did not come to my rescue when they started beating me.”
Owoseni said the couple, who went to Sabo police station, Yaba, with their daughter’s corpse to report the incident, were arrested after preliminary investigations suggested their possible complicity in the crime.
He said eight additional suspects, who live in the same residence with the deceased’s parents, have also been arrested over the murder.
The police boss disclosed: “The divisional police officer in Sabo alerted me that one Mr. Taiwo Suliamon and his wife came to the police station with the dead body of their four years old child and during questioning, the couple said the deceased had left with two of her siblings to pray at a mosque around 1pm on Tuesday and from that time till around 9pm, they didn’t see her. They then commenced a search, which led to the discovery of her body, with her throat slit, at a traditional shrine located right behind one of the windows of their residence, in Sabo.
“I was at the scene of the incident till about 4am this morning. We have recovered the corpse and we have seen the murder weapon. At the moment, 10 persons have been taken into custody for interrogation. We are not saying categorically that they killed the child, but the 10 suspects, including the parents of the child, are been questioned at the moment. From the initial interrogation, there was an element of conspiracy in the matter.”
Owoseni also disclosed that four suspects, including the Baale of Oshaoko Village, in Ibeju-Lekki, are in custody in connection with police inspector’s murder.
He added that detectives are also hunting for two of the baale’s sons, who have equally been implicated in the crime.
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