…give police two weeks ultimatum to produce him
Soji Ajibola, Ibadan
Aggrieved youths on Wednesday took to the major streets in Ibadan, Oyo State, to protest the reported escape of a suspected serial killer, Sunday Shodipe, from the state police command’s custody.
The protesters accused the police of complicity in the circumstances that led to the escape of the notorious killer.
The placard bearing youths marched to the Police Headquarters at Eleyele and some major areas in the state capital.
While addressing the angry youths, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Police Command, Nwachukwu Enwonwu, assured them of his readiness to track down the suspect and bring him to justice.
However, it was learnt that the protesters later went wild and attacked security personnel at the command with stones and other dangerous objects.
Police Public Relations Officer, Olugbenga Fadeyi, who confirmed the attack and students’ protest at the command’s headquarters, said, “The Commissioner of Police and other senior police officers attended to them and answered all their questions.
“You know students now; some of them got out of control but we were able to handle the situation professionally. They have since gone back.”
Meanwhile, a grassroot awareness forum, Peoples’ Awareness Initiative, has given the Nigeria Police Force two weeks ultimatum to produce the suspect, warning the residents of Akinyele Local Government Area to stay indoors on September 1 if the police failed to re-arrest Sunday Shodipe on or before the 31st of August.
The group in a statement on Wednesday, demanded that the police should provide to the public detailed information about how and those involved in the escape of Shodipe from lawful custody after his initial arrest.
The group said, “PAI has been forced to decry in strongest term, the incessant killings of innocent souls and conspiracy that enveloped the leaky security situation since the inception of assassination outbreak in May 2020 within Akinyele Local Government Area.
“Definitely, the manner and sequence of the attacks; the seeming perfect coordination of all the assaults, inability of the security agencies to curb the ceaseless brutal murder, the escape of the suspects from the police custody, ungracious immunity of arrest to some fingered VIPs; all these give much to ponder on the seeming invincibility of the syndicate and how these assailants are well connected with the security agencies.
“The people of AKinyele LGA are breaking out in a cold sweat and could no longer condone making the community a hot ‘spot’ for ritual killers, where brutal murders, mostly for rituals and other circumstances, will be happening almost on daily basis. It’s potentially risky to live or move around any time within Akinyele LGA. No doubt, we are totally out of our depth.”
It charged the Nigeria Police, in whose custody Sunday Sodipe was kept, to reproduce and re-parade him on or before 31st of August, 2020.