THE house where abducted people were kept at Soka area of ibadan is to be demolished tomorrow.According to the General Manager, Ibadan Local Government Properties Company Limited, Mr Olalekan Babalola, this is sequel to the revocation of the property’s Certificate of Occupancy by Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, during a visit to the area on Monday.
Ahead of the governor’s arrival at the scene, a middle-aged woman had been allegedly killed by a stray bullet from the police.
Police stray bullet killed woman at Soka
All hell was let loose when rampaging youths, pounced on unsuspecting motorists on the expressway, destroying cars and other property on the highway.
Nigerian Tribune investigations revealed that trouble started around 11:45 a.m, when it was learnt that a policeman allegedly shot at one of the people when they attempted to gain entrance to the underground enclave of the kidnappers’ den.
This situation was said to have infuriated the youths, who began to riot in protest. The riot spilled from Soka area unto the expressway and motorists were forced to hurriedly make u-turn back to Challenge or the Lagos-Ibadan expressway for fear of being attacked. Some motorists also made a detour to Felele, Idi Mangoro and Sanyo areas. Some vehicles stuck in the ensuing traffic were damaged by the youths.
Reports said a woman was killed around Soka allegedly by a stray bullet from the police.
The woman, according to sympathizers at the scene of the incident was hit on the chest and she immediately gave up the ghost. It was also gathered that the shot allegedly came from one of the police officers who manned the APC stationed by the side of the bridge.
As soon as the governor’s convoy got to the bridge, sympathisers beckoned at his car, describing the situation to him, he came down to attend to them.
At the scene, Governor Ajimobi then approached the crowd which later informed him properly and angrily that “one woman had been killed by police stray bullet”. Senator Ajimobi who was dazed by the revelation, appealed to the crowd, but before he could move further, they carried the woman’s corpse to the expressway where the governor was attending to them.
The governor, who could not stand the sight, covered his face and muttered “ohhhh”, emotionally turned back and boarded his car.
When contacted, the PPRO Oyo State Police Command, Superintendent of Police Olabisi Ilobanafor said the police did not shoot in that area.
Ilobanafor said “It’s not true. The Police did not shoot let alone mistakenly killing a woman.”
But residents of Felele, Eyin Grama and Idi Mangoro reported that they heard gun shots.
We’ll get to the root of the matter -Ajimobi
Meanwhile, Governor Ajimobi has assured that the state government will get to the root of the kidnappers’ den, just as he has ordered the revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy of the land where the crime was perpetrated.
Senator Ajimobi made this disclosure, during an on-the-spot assessment of the scene of the crime which was uncovered on Saturday.
While addressing the crowd that gathered at the scene, the governor who spent over 90 minutes at the scene said: “We must get them.
Whoever that has anything to do with this crime or is aiding or abetting them, the state government will get to the root of it.”
Governor Ajimobi, who came in company with the state Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Indabawa, state Director of SSS, Charles Ugu, members of the state executive council and some political office holders in the state, led the crowd to observe a minute silence for the souls of the victims and prayed for the repose of their souls, after inspecting all the eight rooms in the building.
The governor further added that the state government would take over the land, comb it and pull down suspected structures to unravel any hidden matter within the area. He also added that the services of a forensic pathologist from the University of Ibadan would be engaged to assist the state government to unravel the extent of damage done in the area.
The governor, however, urged the residents to cooperate with government representatives whenever they come around for the assignment. He also offered employment opportunities for the youths in the area and pleaded that they should be law abiding despite the high level of crime in the area.
One of the residents who spoke on behalf of the neighbouring community, Olori Folashade Olatunji, informed the governor that the residents duly reported at the police station when they got wind of the incident. She urged the state government to come to the aid of residents in the area as they now live in fear, while appealing to the state governor to be objective in handling the matter.
Delivering the message on behalf of the community, Olori Olatunji said residents of the community would appreciate it if the area would be turned into a hospital or market to serve the community.
The announcement of the revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy of the property used as kidnappers’ den has raised the question of the ownership of the property.
To unravel the mystery, Nigerian Tribune put a call to Mr Olalekan Babalola, General Manager, Ibadan Local Government Properties Company, managers of Olubadan Industrial Estate where the property is located.
In his answer to the question of who owned the property, Babalola said, “the state government in overriding interest of the state, got the land for Costain (West Africa) Plc, which was handling a project in the state, to use as its warehouse. It was with the understanding that on completion of the project, the property would revert to us.
“So, Costain built the property, put their equipment, tractors and containers in it. But they never handed over the property to us after they completed the project. This, no doubt, encouraged kidnappers to take over the place.”
Speaking on the implication of the revocation of the C of O as announced by the governor, Babalola said his company would move in to fumigate the whole area today and demolish the structure tomorrow (Wednesday).
“We have already put security agents on the alert to secure the area because we are moving in on Wednesday to demolish the place.”
Babalola debunked the rumour doing the rounds that the kidnappers’ den and the adjoining building were owned by Black Horse Plastic Company and Ponti respectively, saying that “there is no truth in that. The property was built by Costain.”
How London Daily Mail newspaper reported kidnappers’ den story
Bound in chains next to corpses, Nigerian kidnap victims found in House of Hell where they were due to be sacrificed in black magic rituals by human organ traffickers
•Several severely malnourished people founded wandering around
•Some victims of kidnapping are often sacrificed in black magic rituals
Rotting bodies and skeletons have been found inside an abandoned Nigerian building which has been dubbed a ‘House of Horror’.
Nigerian police rescued several severely malnourished people found wandering in the bush near the building in the southwestern city of Ibadan, and more were found shackled in leg-chains inside.
The grisly discovery came after a group of motorcycle taxi riders reported that some of their members had gone missing and were believed to have been kidnapped.
‘When we got to the abandoned building in the Soka community of Ibadan, we saw decomposed corpses, skeletons and skulls in the building and surrounding bushes,’ said Oyo state police spokeswoman Olabisi Ilobanafor.
‘Some seven malnourished human beings looking like living skeletons were also rescued in the bushes surrounding the building. One of them died on the spot while we were there,’ she said.
Ilobanafor said police had launched a murder investigation and arrested some suspects at the scene in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state and the third largest city in Nigeria.
‘It is not a common occurence in Ibadan or in the state. The police will investigate this crime in all its ramifications,’ she said.
Some victims of kidnapping in Nigeria are often tortured or sacrificed in black magic rituals.
Local media have also reported cases of human body parts being sold across the country, especially in the southern region, for ritual purposes.
In urban centres, including the nation’s economic capital Lagos, corpses are often found by the roadside with some of their vital parts missing, especially eyes and genitals.
The Ibadan-based Sunday Tribune, Nigeria’s oldest private newspaper, showed gruesome pictures of rotting bodies, human skulls and other body parts littering the scene, as well as ID papers and ATM cards, shoes, bags and clothes.
It also published a photograph of a haggard woman who was allegedly kidnapped in the southern Edo state in 2008 and rescued at what it called the ‘House of Horror’.
The newspaper said at least one skeletal-looking man was found in the throes of death, groaning in pain as flies hovered around his face.
Media reports said 15 or more people had been found in leg-chains inside the building but police put the figure at seven.
Some mobile phone numbers were also written on the inside wall of the building, the Tribune said in its report headlined ‘Kidnappers’ den uncovered in Ibadan’.
Some other local newspapers carried similar reports about the discovery.
The Nation reported that bodies had been dumped in shallow graves and dried-up wells all over the bush.
Ilobanafor said some commercial motorcycle riders had stumbled upon the bodies after complaining to police that some of their members had gone missing in suspicious circumstances.
The police have arrested six suspects, including five security guards allegedly armed with guns, bows and arrows, found at the scene, the police spokeswoman said.
Culled from Daily Mail.
Body of woman dumped by suspected ritualists found in Ibadan
By Nurudeen Alimi
THE body of a woman allegedly dumped by suspected ritualists was on Monday found in Ibadan.
The corpse, which was dumped on the MKO Abiola way, Ibadan, had series of bruises and had its head shattered Nigerian Tribune gathered might have been dumped by suspected ritualists as there was no clothes on it.
Although, there were speculations that the woman might have been knocked down by a hit-and-run vehicle, most of the onlookers at the scene where the corpse was found believed it was a ritual killing.
One of them who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune on the condition of anonymity was of the opinion that: “I do not want to believe this woman was knocked down by a vehicle. Or how can someone be hit by a vehicle and have all her clothes and underwears removed?. Seriously, I suspect this young lady was dumped here”.
The corpse was taken to an undislosed destination by police officers, just as none of them was willing to speak with the Nigerian Tribune.
Meanwhile, when contacted to confirm the incident, the state police public relations officer, Supritendent Olabisi Ilobanefor, said: “I will find out and call you back”.
But as of the time of filing this report, there was no call from her and when her line was called around 7:49pm on Monday, someone else picked her phone and informed the Nigerian Tribune that:”She is still in a meeting”. Tribune
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