The rearrested suspected serial killer in Oyo State, Sunday Shodipe, has revealed how he escaped from police custody and went back into the crime for which he was apprehended earlier three days after the escape.

The 19-year-old man made the confession Wednesday when he was paraded along with other suspects at the Police Command Headquarters in Ibadan, the state capital.

Those also paraded by the police include members of a robbery gang suspected to have perpetrated the bank heist in the Okeho area of Ibadan, as well as some suspected kidnappers among others.

 Shodipe, who spoke in Yoruba, disclosed that he went back to Akinyele Local Government Area, where he was said to have killed some residents to perpetrate another killing on the instruction of his handler.

His words: “My escape from police custody was masterminded by my handler, a herbalist known as Mr Idris Adedokun. When we were together in the cell, he called one of the police officers – one Inspector Funsho – to allow us take a bath.

“Inspector Funsho did not allow us, but after three days, my handler assured me that he had everything under control and that I would soon be able to take my bath and run more errands for him.”

“He later told Inspector Funsho that he needed dry gin as a herbalist for his personal use but he was denied access to such luxury in detention. My handler’s lawyer came to the police station in Mokola and took N200,000 from him to hold brief for him.”

The suspect added, “My handler told me that my confession landed us in trouble, that I should not have confessed. After my escape, I went back to Akinyele on my handler’s instructions and matchetted another woman but she did not die in the process.

“While on the run, I usually go to Bodija market with caps to hide my identity because I knew I was wanted by the police. I do not know those who captured me but I suspected when they asked for my help to push their car but I didn’t run.

“I was not at rest because I knew the police were after me. I was caught along Bodija but I live in Moniya.”

Back In Custody

The Commissioner of Police in Oyo, Chucks Enwonwu, who paraded Shodipe and others, confirmed the killing of another person by the suspect.

He identified the victim as one Mrs Oladeji Funmilayo who did not die during the attack but lost the struggle at the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan where she was declared dead.

“Without mincing words, all police tactical teams, including the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Swift Response Squad, Federal and Safer Highway patrol teams… have been working assiduously to keep crimes and criminality in the state to the barest minimum and also make the good citizens of Oyo State sleep with both eyes closed,” Enwonwu said.

He added, “Consequently, this has yielded positive results and some criminal elements, including those arrested at the robbery incident of July 28 at a first generation bank in Okeho, the arrest of the prime suspect in the serial killings of Akinyele Local Government Area, Moniya Ibadan – Sunday Shodipe a 19-year-old who escaped from lawful custody in August 11, 2020 but rearrested on August 23 at Bodija area of Ibadan.

“The escape has generated many ripples considering the circumstances behind his escape.”

Enwonwu disclosed that the prize of N500,000 provided by the Oyo State government for the rearrest of Shodipe had been given to the bounty hunters.

He told reporters that the Command has made headway in series of high profile criminal investigations in the state.

According to the police commissioner, the suspected serial killer is back in custody and some of the Okeho bank robbery syndicate in which a mobile police officer was killed have been arrested.

He thanked the residents of the state for valid intelligent tips that made the arrests possible and assured them that the police were better equipped to confront and win the war against crime in Oyo.

‘I Had No Choice’

Another suspect who was one of the bank robbers in Okeho, Mohammed Ilyasu, also narrated his ordeal.

Ilyasu claimed that as an electrician, he was invited to Ibadan for work but he never knew he was being engaged for a robbery operation.

He explained that he got to know about the robbery plot when he got to Okeho, stressing that he declined to be a part of the robbery group.

“I am an electrician and a graduate of the University of Abuja since 2010. I studied economics and served in Ekiti state in 2011/2012,” the suspect told reporters.

He said, “There were three people in the car, so he (the man who invited Ilyasu) brought out a pistol that I have received secret information that I can’t leave the group but participate in the robbery and after series of threat, I caved in.

“I had no choice; that was how I got into it. I regret everything that happened. The night I came, he brought out a rifle and taught me how to use it, instructing me to just shoot it into the air during the robbery.”

Shodipe, who was on the run for 12 days, was rearrested with the help of private investigators who came from Akure, the Ondo State capital.

He was handed over to the police and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, thereafter, took him into custody.

Four AK-47 rifles, two assault rifles, four locally made pistols, as well as live and expended ammunition were among the items recovered from the suspects.

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