The police command in Ogun State has kept sealed lips after the prime suspect in the murder of a couple on New Year’s Day, Lekan Adekanbi, has reportedly escaped from its custody.
The couple, Kehinde and Bukola Fatinoye, was murdered by suspected assassins, who also set their house, located at the Ibara GRA in Abeokuta, on fire. The only surviving son, Oreoluwa, was also killed and thrown into the Ogun River.
The wife was before her death a worker at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), while the husband was a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
City & Crime reports that the couple’s driver, Lekan Adekanbi, and the adopted son identified as Felix, were arrested following the incident.
It was gathered that the Ibara police divisional headquarters arrested Adekanbi to aid their investigation.
On Tuesday, two policemen from Ibara division were said to have taken the suspect to a hospital after he complained of a fever.
But at the hospital located within the police facility at Zone 2, Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta, Lekan, pretending that he wanted to urinate escaped, an insider told our correspondent at the weekend. It was gathered that the policemen did not handcuff the suspect at the hospital and that made it easy for him to escape from the facility.
Our correspondent further gathered that the adopted son, Felix had allegedly spotted Adekanbi as the “killer” of the couple on Tuesday when he was brought by the police to the riverbank where the son’s corpse was recovered.
While he was being taken away, he caused some drama by shouting, “I am not a killer. I did not kill them. I’m not a killer, I know what I saw, I’m not a kid, I told them to let us check the river before we left.
“I saw him (the killer). Why will I not recognize someone who wanted to kill me? I saw him. I know what I saw, I know what I’m saying. I’m not a killer.”
When someone among the family asked him who could the person be, he responded, “brother Lekan.”
The police source told our correspondent on Sunday that the prime suspect’s escape has unsettled the command as heads are already rolling.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Ibara, Bernard Ediagbonya, had been removed for alleged negligence.
He was directed to resume at the police headquarters, Eleweran, forthwith.
When contacted by our correspondent, the police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, neither confirmed nor denied that the suspect had escaped.
He said he would only speak when investigation was concluded.
“I have said I am not going to speak on the issue for now. The information you people (newsmen) are pushing out there is not helping our investigation at all.
“When we conclude the investigation, of which we have recorded huge success so far, I am going to address you (newsmen),” Oyeyemi told City & Crime on Sunday.
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