A suspect arrested over the alleged involvement in the m*rder of two traditional rulers in the Ikole axis of Ekiti State, Baboga, has confessed how he and members of his gang m*rdered the monarchs.
Baboga, a herdsman, made the confession after he was paraded before journalists on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti by the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Ekiti, Dare Ogundare.
January 29, gunmen k!lled the Onimojo of Imojo, Oba Olatunde Olusola, and the Elesun of Esun Ekiti, Oba Babatunde Ogunsakin.
Also in the same area, the assailants attacked a school bus and whisked away 5 pupils of the Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, 3 teachers, and the bus driver.
Speaking with reporters on Sunday at the Ekiti State Police Headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, Baboga said he and 4 others were involved in the operation that led to the death of the two traditional rulers.
He said, “I am a herdsman, and I have my cows in the bush. The other four threatened to shoot me if I did not join them in the operation.
“They brought the ammunition and I was going about in the bush with my cows when they said I should join, and I joined them.
“When we were in the bush, we saw the vehicle conveying the three traditional rulers from a distance, and we jumped on the road.
“We didn’t plan to k!ll the traditional rulers, but I can’t remember what happened. My friends shot at them and we ran away. They left the bush immediately. They have been kidnapping people for ransom. I joined them once to kidnap and they gave me N5,000 from the money they collected.
“It was when I came to town to buy garri that I was arrested by security operatives.“
Earlier, the police boss said it took the combined efforts of security agencies in the state to apprehend the suspect in the forest between Ayedun and Ayebode.
He said that the suspect had confessed to the crime while efforts were on to apprehend his accomplices.
The AIG informed journalists that some other suspects had been arrested at Oke Osun, in Ikere Ekiti, Igbo Okah and Iju-Ikere boundary forest in connection with the murder of the monarchs.
Speaking further, Ogundare said no arrest was made during the rescue operation for the abducted school pupils and their teachers.
On whether ransom was paid to secure the release of the Emure abductees, the police boss said that the Nigeria Police would never encourage ransom payment.
He also commended the Inspector General of Police and the Ekiti State governor for their intervention in the quick release of the school pupils and their teachers