The Lagos State Police Command says its men have exhumed four bodies dumped in a septic tank in Ikorodu for autopsy.
The Command’s Spokesperson, DSP Bala Elkana, said in a statement that the bodies were recovered following a report of two Bureau-de-Change operators who went missing on March 14.
“On March 14 at about 5.30p.m., the Lagos State Police Command received a complaint from Ikorodu area that some unidentified persons approached one Alhaji Yakubu Musa and Alhaji Hassan Umaru, both operators of Bureau de Change at Benson area, Ikorodu and informed them that they have a relation who returned from overseas and need to sell $10,000.
“They initially requested that payment will be made in a bank at Ikorodu but on getting to the bank, the suspects moved the operators to an unknown destination and started demanding for ransom from their friends and relatives.
“That despite paying the sum of One Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira (N1,600,000) as ransom, the abductors refused to release the victims and nothing more was heard from them. The victims phones remained switched off.
“The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Zubairu Muazu, detailed the Commander, Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), to carry out an in depth investigation into the matter with a view to rescue the victims and apprehend the suspects.
“Operatives from SARS Ipakodo base led by SP Godfrey Soriwei arrested three suspects, namely Oluwatosin Olanrewaju, Mayowa Olawuni a.k.a General and Babatunde Idris a.k.a Aloma.
“The suspects confessed to the commission of the crime and led operatives to their den at Ikorodu where they dumped the corpses in a septic tank.
“Two locally made single barrel guns with five live cartridges, one locally made gun with three ammunition, one locally made revolver pistol with three live ammunition, one cutlass, one axe and some charms were recovered from them.
“Investigation revealed that the suspects had at various times used an abandoned company as their den, where all their targets are killed and dumped in the septic tank,” he said.
Elkana said as part of investigation, four decomposed bodies were recovered from the septic tank for autopsy.
He added that the suspects confessed to have killed the other two rival cult members and dumped them in the septic tank before killing the two Bureau de change operators.
“They are currently assisting the police in the arrest of the other fleeing members of the gang. Investigation is ongoing, suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigation is completed,” he said.
