Two domestic staff persons employed by the late former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Prof. Albert Ilemobade, on Monday confessed to killing their boss.
The staff, a former driver, Olayemi Bamitale, and the security night guard, Daniel Ita, confessed about how they purposely killed the former university don in cold-blood at his private residence in Ijapo Estate, Akure, the Ondo state capital.
The two killers, who looked stern in their confessional statement at the headquarters of the Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Police Force, along Igbatoro road in Akure, narrated the way they “strangulated” their boss to death with the aim of stealing and selling off his recently purchased Red Toyota RAV 4 jeep (4WD) registered with the plate number GGE-589-CF.
Confessing his crime, the former driver, Bamitele, said after working with the late Professor Ilemobade for several years and then eventually running away from the family, he was called from Ado Ekiti by the security night guard.
“He [Daniel] called me that he had already arranged how we are going to steal baba’s [Prof. Ilemobabe] vehicle. I was surprised but I told him am not presently in town that am in Ado Ekiti. He told me I should enter a commercial transport and come to Akure immediately. I don’t even have transport fare but he said I should enter into any vehicle and when I get to Akure he would pay the fare.
“I got to Akure, I called him and he came to meet me at the popular Oba’nla junction where he gave me N1000 to pay for the transportation fare. The thirty-six year old former driver added that the security night guard [Daniel] lied to the Professor that there was an electric outbreak in the compound and they immediately bounced on him by strangulating him to death.
Daniel said: “I called out the old man through his window and he passed out through his kitchen. I pointed a touch light to the ceiling where the outbreak occurred and immediately Bamitale bounced on him and pressed him till he died. We later dropped his dead body at the store near the motor car park so that people will not see”
“I felt bad and I was worried, but Bamitale said the deed had already been done and that’s not the first time he would carry out such dangerous act. He entered into the compound and brought out money and stolen items because he had worked here before. We then ran away,” Daniel said.
The Ondo Police Commissioner, Isaac Eke confirmed that the Ogun state Command of the force, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mudashiru Abdullah, arrested the two criminals in Ijebu Ode.
Eke said the corpse of the late professor was identified by his children and detectives. Assisted medical practitioners have deposited his remains at the morgue.
He assured that alongside their accomplices, the duo would soon be brought to justice.