SUNDAY Shodipe, a suspected serial killer in Ibadan, Oyo State capital has narrated how he was able to escape from police detention and killed a woman before he was rearrested on Sunday.
Shodipe told the story of his escape on Wednesday when he was paraded by the Oyo State Police Command in Ibadan and also confessed to have killed five people in all.
According to the suspect, he had planned his escaped alongside a herbalist, Adedokun Yinusa whom he was initially arrested with, adding that he was always killing on the instruction of the herbalist.
He said while in police custody, the herbalist’s wife would bring kola nuts and gin for her husband which the herbalists would utter incantations into before taking them.
“After the police discovered this, they stopped them from bringing kola nuts and gin for him, so he began complaining that the spirits would feast on his blood if he didn’t take gin,” Shodipe said, adding that, “He then kept disturbing one of the policemen to help him get a gin, but that one refused.”
According to him, the herbalist, began begging the policeman to allow them to go out and have their bath, stating that the policeman initially didn’t agree, “but Baba said he would agree after some days.”
“And truly, after some days, the policeman allowed us to go and have our bath. We were eight in the cell and he said we should go in twos. When it was my turn, Baba told me not to forget what he had told me,” Shodipe recounted.
“He had told me that an opportunity would come for me to escape and that I should go to Akinyele area and attack someone, he said I should mention his name after committing the act.
“So after I went out to bath at about 7:00 p.m., I noticed the policeman was not concentrating because he had warned us not to attempt to escape, so I seized the opportunity and climbed a pole in the station and escaped.
“After two days, I went to Akinyele as instructed by Baba and I hacked the woman. Baba said that particular act would help protect his life and he was not doing those things he should do when he was free.”
Shodipe was eventually apprehended through a citizen after a ransom of N500, 000 was placed on his head.
Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu, Oyo Police Commissioner, said the police officer whose negligence caused Shodipe’s escape has been punished.
“The policeman has been punished and it will serve as a lesson to others not to be negligent in their duties,” Enwonwu said.
He added that the N500,000 bounty placed on Shodipe had been paid to the individual who assisted in arresting the suspect.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94