Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command, supported by vigilante groups, have arrested Ogidan Mustapha for alleged mutilation of the corpse of 13-year-old Oriyomi Gboyega in Igode, Sagamu local government area of the state.
The spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, made this known in a statement released to newsmen in Abeokuta on Friday night.
According to Odutola, Mustapha was apprehended at approximately 1:30 AM on Friday while attempting to dump the body of the deceased near Igbosoro River in Igode village. He is accused of severing the hands of Oriyomi, his neighbor’s deceased child.
Odutola added that Mustapha had wrapped the corpse in a mat at the time of his arrest. Three other suspects were also detained for assisting him in digging the grave.
She reported that the mother of the deceased, Peace Adegboyega, informed the police that her daughter had died from electrocution around 10:20 AM on Thursday. The mother expressed shock upon learning that Mustapha had been found with her daughter’s dismembered body, as they had already made plans for the burial.
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Upon searching Mustapha’s residence, police discovered two English pump-action rifles and various local charms.
Odutola stated, “An intelligence source from a sister security agency alerted the divisional police officer of Igode about a suspicious movement in a bush around Igbosoro River in Igode village on the 20th of September 2024, at around 1:30 AM. They apprehended Ogidan Mustapha as he was attempting to dump a corpse.
“Upon closer inspection, the vigilante operatives examined the body wrapped in a mat and confirmed it was a young girl’s remains, which had been mutilated with both hands amputated and discarded near the river.
“Through careful observation, the identity of the deceased was established as Oriyomi Adegboyega, a 13-year-old female.”
During interrogation, the suspect denied dismembering the body but claimed he had been asked by Oriyomi’s father, Sunday Adegboyega, to help bury her away from home.
“The suspect denied amputating the 13-year-old girl, asserting instead that her father, Sunday Adegboyega, 56, requested his assistance in burying the deceased far from their home. He insisted he had carried the body to the river intact from the father’s compound,” she added.
Odutola confirmed that the suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation and possible prosecution.