Residents attack suspected killers’ den, rescue boy

The suspected killer’s den. Inset: Toilet stained with blood.

The police in Ogun State have uncovered a house said to be used for ritual purposes in Ado Odo Community, Ota Local Government Area.

A young boy was said to have been rescued from the bungalow which is surrounded by no fewer than three primary schools.

When PUNCH Metro visited the scene on Wednesday, some curious residents were seen around the house.

One of them told our correspondent that the den was uncovered after the suspected kidnappers abducted a boy who was hawking belts.

The resident, who identified himself as Jamiu Abisogun, said, “It was a boy hawking belt that they kidnapped. The boy was negotiating the price of a belt with a man before he was called by one of the men in the building.

“He left the man on the street and went inside the building. However, the first man on the street later got the money to buy the belt and started looking for the boy.

“After two hours and the boy did not come out of the house, the man went to the Itele Police Station and told them about his suspicion. Policemen from the station later stormed the building.”

Abisogun added that the police could not gain access into the building immediately and had to return in the evening, when they finally broke into the house.

They were said to have seen the ‘belt boy’ in the toilet where he had been kept. He was said to have been injured, with blood gushing out of his body.

The kidnappers were said to have fled the building.

Our correspondent learnt that angry residents, who had followed the policemen into the house, quickly mobilised and attacked the property, damaging it and setting some parts ablaze.

Our correspondent, who moved round the bungalow, which has a detached self contained block, saw foot wares and clothes belonging to kids and women.

An Identity Card with the tag, ‘Dada Temitope- Principle for Men, specialist in English and Native Dresses,’ was also sighted inside the building.

Our correspondent saw blood stains on the wall of the toilet. Some dark blood clots were seen in the wardrobe area of the bedroom.

The picture of a fair complexioned man, standing beside a 4Runner jeep with number plate, Lagos JJJ 580 AA, was also sighted up by our correspondent.

A motorcyclist, Samuel Oladara, told our correspondent that he had carried two men into the building at different times and the image in the picture was that of one of them.

Oladara said at a time, he almost fell into their trap as he was also asked to enter the building.

He said, “I know the two men living in the house and if I see them, I will recognise them because I have taken them on my bike at different times.

“One is short and plumpy, fair in complexion and he limps when he walks. The other man is tall and also fair in complexion. That’s the one in the picture.

“On a particular day, I had dropped the short one in front of the house and he refused to pay me his N100 fare. He explained that he had only N50 and said I should come into the building to collect the balance, but I declined to follow him in. I just rode away.”

Oladara said the police could have caught them if they had broken into the house the first time.

Our correspondent learnt from sources in the neighbourhood that they usually heard groans and struggle, but thought they were mere family fights.

The Chairman, Itele-Awori Area Community Development Committee, Olatunji Onaolapo, appealed to the police to get to the root of the matter.

He said, “The real owner of that house parked out about two years ago after incessant robber’s attack. He gave it out to a caretaker, who then rented it out to those guys.

“When the police came, they saw the belt boy inside the toilet, drenched in blood.

“We also saw some other blood stains in different parts of the house suggesting something evil had been going on there.

“We tried to stop the area boys, but the crowd was just too much and they set the place on fire and destroyed some of the evidences. The police arrested the younger brother of the owner of the house and the caretaker. But those behind the real act escaped and I don’t know if the police have been able to get them.”

When our correspondent visited the Itele Police Station, he was told the matter had been transferred to Area G Command, Sango.

A police source however confirmed the incident.

He said, “After the operation, there were so many people at the station here that we had to move the case to Sango. The matter has been transferred there.”

Our correspondent visited the command, but the Area Commander declined comments, urging our correspondent to contact the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi.

However, attempts to reach Adejobi were abortive as his mobile line rang out. A text message sent to him since Wednesday had yet to be responded to as of the time of filing this report

Source: Punch