•Adekunle-Ajasin-University main gate
Grieving students of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State yesterday demanded the corpse of the prime suspect, Femi Oladele, who allegedly orchestrated the murder of their two missing colleagues.
Their demand followed confirmation by the State Police Command of the reported death of Oladele in a hospital after falling sick on Friday, reports The Nation.
Sources who spoke to our correspondent yesterday revealed that the prime suspect suddenly developed a strange illness after allegedly making a confessional statement about the brutal killing of the two students and their burial in a shallow grave.
One of the sources, who pleaded anonymity, told our reporter that the suspect – arrested alongside two other accomplices in the murder case – was rushed to the hospital where he gave up the ghost.
“Tallex (Oladele) is dead. He gave up at the hospital yesterday after he made some confessions to the police over the killing of the two Akungba students. I learnt he had fallen sick shortly after he was arrested,” he said.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed the death of the suspect when contacted on the phone, saying he was taken to the hospital where he gave up the ghost.
Ayanlade, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the suspect, who allegedly orchestrated the brutal murder of the students who also doubled as his tenants, had been in and out of the hospital before he died yesterday.
He said: “Yes, he is dead. Following his arrest, the suspect (Oladele) had been in and out of the hospital under close medical supervision and was receiving adequate care before he died in the early hours of yesterday.
“As of now, the decomposing remains of Okah have been recovered while efforts are ongoing to locate Abba’s body.”
The police spokesman explained that two additional suspects identified as one Kola and Micheal, who allegedly withdrew the sum of N800,000 from the late Abba’s account, had been arrested and was in custody, fully cooperating with investigation.
“So, we are asking members of the public to disregard any distorted narratives seeking to divert attention from the facts, and the Command can assure that justice will be fully pursued and all those involved will be made to face the full weight of the law.
The two missing undergraduate students, Andrew Eloho Okah and Nohn Friday Abbah, were allegedly kidnapped and subsequently murdered by Oladele.
The suspect, popularly known as ‘Tallex’, was the students’ landlord.
He was said to have ordered suspected cultists to deal with the victims for allegedly being disrespectful to him.
The two undergraduate students were consequently abducted, robbed, raped and murdered.
It was earlier reported the grim discovery of their bodies near the Ondo-Ekiti border weeks after their course mates declared them missing and absent from classes.
“Although we deeply sympathise with the families, friends and academic communities of the victims and remain unwavering in our commitment to justice and public safety,” he said.
In a statement it issued yesterday, however, the Students Union Government (SUG) of the institution, apparently suspecting foul play, expressed deep sorrow over the tragic and untimely death of their two colleagues and also demanded to see Oladele’s corpse.
The statement, jointly signed by the trio of Salami Akeem, President; Bakare Abiodun, General Secretary and Ajidagba Mosadoluwa, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the SUG, noted that the gruesome murder of the two students had plunged the entire university community into mourning.
They noted that the death of the suspect has raised pressing questions regarding the circumstances surrounding the murder case of their colleagues.
The statement said: “Earlier today, it was reported that one of the suspects linked to the murder of the two students had died in a hospital while in custody.
“This sudden development has further intensified the call for transparency and accountability from the Nigerian Police Force.
“In light of this, the Students’ Union is demanding that the Nigeria Police immediately produce the body of the deceased suspect.
“We are giving the police a strict ultimatum of 24 hours from the release of this statement to comply with this demand.”
While demanding justice for the killing of their two colleagues, the students’ union leaders said a thorough, transparent and fair investigation must be carried out by the police over the murder case.
They noted that it is the least owed to the grieving families, the university’s community and the general public, stressing that findings related to the murder case must be made public and handled with the highest level of integrity.
They also charged the police to act with full responsibility, professionalism and commitment to justice.
“We are bringing this demand directly to the attention of the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal.
“We reiterate that our demands must be met within the given time frame in order not to result in a mass demonstration by all the students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko and other concerned Nigerian students.
“This protest will be carried out physically as enshrined in our rights as citizens, to demand transparency, accountability and the proper handling of this sensitive matter.
“The Adekunle Ajasin University Students’ Union remains resolute in its commitment to protecting the welfare and dignity of its members.”
