Residents of Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, are excited with the re-arrest of suspected serial killer, Sunday Shodipe.
Shodipe, who escaped from police custody on August 11, was re-arrested on Sunday.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has also commended the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Nwachukwu Enwonwu, and his team for re-arresting the suspect.
The IG also warned the state police command against complacency in further handling of the suspect.
Adamu spoke through a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba.
The statement read in part: “The Nigeria Police Force, Oyo State Police Command, has re-arrested the notorious murder suspect, Sunday Shodipe, who escaped from lawful custody on 11th August, 2020. He was re-arrested today, Sunday, 23rd August, 2020 by police operatives in the Bodija area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
“The IGP warned against any form of complacency on the part of the operatives of the Oyo State Police Command, stressing that all hands must be on deck to bring the case to a positive and successful closure.”
On whether the suspect would be transferred to Abuja and who the police would pay the N500,000 bounty placed on Shodipe’s head to, Oyo State Police Command spokesman, Olugbenga Fadeyi said the CP would brief journalists on the matter within the next two days.
Meanwhile, the head of Soludero Hunters, Nurein Ajijolanabai, said that the hunters group played a prominent role in the re-arrest of Shodipe.
Ajijolaanabi said his boys led a team of policemen to the residence of the suspect’s grandma in the Bodija area of Ibadan where he was re-arrested.
Ajijolaanabi said the hunters were indifferent to the N500,000 bounty placed on the suspect.
He said he and his members were doing the job because of their desire to rid the state of criminals.
READ ALSO: Police Offers N500,000 Rewards For Information On Escaped Suspected Serial Killer, Sunday Shodipe
He stated, “The boy has mentioned some names and the police and my boys are searching for those he mentioned.
“We are not even asking the police for the N500,000 bounty, but we won’t reject it if they give us. We are doing what we are doing because we want our communities to be free of criminals.
“The DPO of the Ojoo Police Station contacted us and some of our boys led them to where he was re-arrested at Bodija.”
Recall that five persons were killed in June in the Akinyele LGA and the CP relocated to the area. Subsequent to that, Shodipe and others were arrested.
The suspect narrated how a herbalist used to send him to kill, adding that he attacked his victims with a shovel.
The suspect, who was kept at the Mokola Police Station following a court order, escaped on August 11.
The CP had said earlier that an Inspector who was on duty opened the cell and brought out the suspect to take his bath from where he disappeared.
How I escaped from police custody –Suspect
The suspect, while narrating how he escaped, said he climbed a tank stand and scaled the fence when he was taken out to take his bath.
Shodipe said this in a video posted by Oriyomi Hamzat TV.
He spoke after he was re-arrested on Sunday.
He said, “The new DPO at Mokola Police Station told a policeman, Funso, that he should take us out to have our bath. The policeman took me out and he warned me against trying to escape. I didn’t even think of escaping when he said that.
“But when I saw that he was engrossed in his discussion with a man, I climbed the tank stand and scaled the fence. It was around 7P.m when I escaped.”
Additional reports from The PUNCH
