Detectives attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Command, have recovered bodies of four people in a sceptic tank at Ikorodu. The detectives were investigating the death of two bureau de change operators when they stumbled on the bodies. It was learnt that when the police recovered the bodies of the bureau de change operators inside the well, they also discovered two bodies of people believed to be cult members. It was believed that the victims were murdered before their bodies were dumped in the sceptic tank.
The police have, however, arrested three persons in connection with the murder of the two bureau de change operators. The suspects, Oluwatosin Olarewaju (40), Mayowa Olawuni alias General and Babatunde Idris alias Aloma, were arrested by the SARS operatives at Ipakodo, Ikorodu.
The operatives were led by a Superintendent of Police Godfrey Soriwei. It was learnt that the suspects contacted the bureau de change operators – Alhaji Yakubu Musa and Alhaji Hassan Umaru – that they had a relation who just returned from abroad and needed to sell $10,000.
The bureau de change operators thought the transaction would be made at the bank. Unfortunately, when they got to the bank the suspects changed their mind and took them to an unknown place and held them hostage. While in captivity, the suspects contacted the bureau de change operators’ family members and friends and demanded ransom. After paying N1.6 million ransom, the abductors refused to release the victims and nothing more was heard from them. According to the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkana, the two phones of the victims were switched off as their family members couldn’t reach them anymore.
Elkana said immediately the information about the missing victims got to the Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, ordered the commander of SARS, Peter Gana, to carry out an in depth investigation with a view to rescuing the victims and apprehending the suspects. The suspects, according to the PPRO, were eventually tracked to their hideout and were arrested. During investigation, the suspect confessed to the crime and led the operatives to their den at Ikorodu where they dumped the bodies of the victims in a septic tank. Items recovered from the suspects include two locally-made single-barrelled guns with live cartridges, charms, one locallymade revolver pistol with three live ammunition, one cutlass, one axe and some charms.
The suspects also revealed that they had for long be using an abandoned company where they killed all their victims and dumped them in a septic tank as their den. Elkana said four decomposing bodies were recovered from the septic tank. He added that the bodies had been taken to hospital for autopsy.
The suspects also confessed that it was not the bereau de change operators alone that were inside the septic tank, but two other cult members they killed were dumped inside the septic tank. Elkana, however, said, investigation was ongoing and that the suspects would be charged to court after completion of the investigation.