Cleric’s murder: Masquerader not in police custody

The Suspects

Ogun State Police Command has said the masquerader, who allegedly shot and killed a 22-year-old Islamic cleric, Lateef Saliu, in Ijaye, Abeokuta on Sunday was not in its custody.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye, stated this while parading other suspects arrested in connection with the murder.

They are 61-year-old Alapinni of Ijaye, Chief Shittu Adeyemi; the Balogun Oje of Ijaye and Aare Oje of Egbaland, Chief Waidi Babalola, 64 years; and 40-year-old Ajani Olabimtan.

Our correspondent, however, learnt that the man in the costume, one Kassim, who lives in Lagos State, is currently on the run.

Kassim was in the masquerade popularly known as “Leyin Aponle” when Saliu was allegedly shot dead during the celebrations of the annual Egungun Festival in Ijaye.

The victim was said to be riding on a motorcycle in the area and had allegedly defied an earlier warning by the masquerader to dismount from the bike shortly before the incident occurred.

While parading the three suspects alongside other suspected criminals in the state at the Police Command Headquarters, Eleweran, Okoye said the command had only three “human beings” excluding a masquerader in its custody.

He was responding to a question posed by our correspondent on the murder.

Okoye said: “Excuse me, Mr. Punch, you are an African. You are in Africa. You are from this part of the world. How can you describe a masquerade? They said a masquerader committed the offence, but all we know is that we have three human beings (suspects) with us. And that is that. Thank you.”

But Babalola, who is one of the chiefs of the masquerade cult, told journalists that he and Alapinni went to make a report of the incident at the police command headquarters when they were arrested and detained as suspects.

He said, “We are chiefs. We know nothing about the incident. We were not even at the scene. We only came to report the matter in order to avoid a religious crisis between the traditionalists and the Muslims when they (police) said myself, the Balogun and the Alapinni would not be allowed to go back home and that we are suspects. We are just chiefs of the town and we have banned the boy from taking part in the Egungun Festival before the last Sunday incident.”

The police also paraded a six-man gang suspected to have been behind the kidnapping of an Ijebu-Ode-based businessman, Aremu Oluwasogo Peters.

They are a final year student of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Adesina Adeyinka, Bode Kolawole Obakoya, Biodun Adewale, Saheed Adewale and Segun Samuel.

The police said the gang demanded N25m ransom from Peter’s family.

Items recovered from the gang are an improvised  pump-action gun, a toy gun, blue colour Chelsea Club towel, three Techno handsets, Golf Three Volkswagen car with registration number JJJ 364 AY, a Primera car marked LA 550 KSF and one black belt.

PUNCH