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Prime Suspect In Couple’s Murder Allegedly Escapes From Police Custody In Abeokuta

The suspect reportedly feigned illness and on getting to the hospital, he escaped.


Ogun State is bounded to the south by Nigeria’s commercial centre Lagos State.

 

Emerging reports suggest that the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of a couple, Kehinde and Bukola Fatinoye, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital may have escaped from the police custody.

The police in the state are yet to confirm the development even as effort to get a reaction from the police public relations officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, proved abortive.

The prime suspect simply identified as Lekan, it was gathered, escaped from the police custody at Ibara Police Divisional Headquarter, after his arrest on Tuesday

It was alleged that Lekan, who was the driver to the deceased Mrs Fatinoye, until Friday, remained a top secret within the police hierarchy.

The suspect was said to have been driving Mrs Fatinoye for almost two years and was well-known within the community of the Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), where the late Mrs. Bukola Fatinloye worked.

Lekan was said to have been apprehended following an earlier arrest of another suspect who was a house-help to the Fatinoyes.

The source said Lekan was taken into custody at Ibara Police Station when the house-help, who also escaped assassination by the assailants, identified him as one of the killers at the scene.

It was further revealed that at the point of taking statement from the prime suspect, he slumped and was almost lifeless, not known to the police that it was only a pretense and a ploy to escape the lawful custody.

He was reportedly rushed to a police clinic at Zone II not far from the Secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Iwe-Iroyin, in order to ‘rescue’ him so as to help the police in its investigation.

While trying to ‘rescue’ him, the source asserted that Lekan suddenly woke up, took the health workers by surprise and fled from the clinic.

The source further said that efforts by the police to re-arrest the suspect proved abortive, adding that there was sporadic gunshot while the police chased the suspect.

The police has however launched a manhunt for the escaped suspect by declaring him wanted.

A ‘wanted’ message carrying Lekan’s picture has been in circulation since Thursday, but curiously, not with any police insignia.

The message read, “Wanted! Wanted!! Wanted!!! This is the guy suspected to have been part of the culprits that murdered a couple in Abeokuta on the New Year’s Eve.

“His name is Lekan an he is currently at large and has been declared wanted by the Police. Anyone who knows or sees him should contact the nearest police station. Kindly share.”

A statement from the police is expected as to affirm or debunk the reports suggesting the prime suspect is no more in their custody.