Police Rearrest Suspected Oyo Serial Killer, Shodipe
The Oyo State Police Command has rearrested the suspected serial killer, Sunday Shodipe.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Gbenga Fadeyi confirmed the development on Sunday.
Mr Fadeyi did not give details of where the suspect is being kept at the time of this report.
His arrest comes some days after he escaped from the police custody at Mokola police station in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Shodipe, who was said to be involved in the series of killings in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state, had been declared wanted by the police.
The nineteen-year-old was earlier arrested by the police and paraded along with two other suspects on July 17 at the Oyo State Police Command.
The suspects were later charged to court but remanded in police custody.
Barely a month after their arraignment, Shodipe escaped from lawful custody on August 8.
Following the disappearance of the serial killer, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, ordered security operatives to ensure the rearrest of Shodipe.
Governor Makinde said the re-arrest of the suspected mastermind of at least six ritual killings in Ibadan, must be made a top priority of security operatives.
According to him, the state government places a premium on the security of lives and properties in the state and residents should remain calm and not take laws into their hands.
At a town hall meeting, the governor who was represented by his Special Adviser on Security, Fatai Owoseni, said he (Governor Makinde) shared the pains of the people of Akinyele over the incessant killings in the area, stressing that people must continue to cooperate with law enforcement officials to bring an end to the menace in the area.
“All of us have followed the incidents in Akinyele; the arrest of the principal suspect in the case and, of course, his escape from custody, after being arraigned in court.
“We are here in this Town Hall meeting and Governor Makinde has directed that we should let the people in the community know that as governor, he shares their pain; and as people of Oyo State, we share in the pain and what has happened is condemnable and unacceptable in all materials particular,” Owoseni who is a retired Commissioner of Police said.
Similarly, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, also ordered the rearrest of a suspected serial killer.
Condemning the unfortunate escape of the suspect, Adamu asked the Commissioner of Police in Oyo to intensify efforts and ensure his prompt rearrest.
The IGP asked the police commissioner to speed up investigations into the circumstances that led to the escape of the suspect.
He deployed additional investigative aides to Oyo to complement the efforts of the State Police Command in the ongoing manhunt.
Thereafter, the Oyo State Police Command promised a 500,000 thousand naira reward to anyone who avails the State Command of useful information that will lead to the re-arrest of the suspected serial killer.
