The Ondo State Police Command announced on Sunday the arrest of a 39-year-old man, Dolapo Babalola, in connection with the alleged murder of Opeyemi Oyelakin, 34, and the theft of his motorcycle.
According to police reports, the incident occurred in Oke-Igbo town, Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government Area, on March 15, 2024. Babalola purportedly killed Oyelakin and then absconded with his motorcycle.
Commissioner of Police Abayomi Oladipo revealed that the victim, a commercial motorcycle rider, was deceived by Babalola and another individual, who is currently on the run, under the guise of hiring his services from Ondo town to a farm in Oke-Igbo town.
Oladipo further stated that the suspect(man) was apprehended after the motorcycle owner reported the disappearance of the deceased and his motorcycle to the police station.
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He said, “On March 25, 2024, a complainant reported at police headquarters that the motorcycle he gave to a rider was not seen since March 15, 2024, and every effort to trace the rider proved futile. Consequent upon the report, police moved into action and through technical intelligence, the suspect was arrested.
“Upon interrogation of the suspect, he confessed to how the rider who incidentally happened to be his (suspect) friend, was engaged from Ondo town to take him and one other who is currently at large to a farm area in Oke-Igbo.
“They brought him to the area we are standing which falls within Ile-Oluji /Oke Igbo Local Government. On getting to this point, they came down under the pretence that they want to inspect their farm. The other suspect, now at large, gripped the okada rider at the back and the suspect that we apprehended hit him with a stone on the head and consistently used wood to hit his head.”
The CP added, “thereafter, they dragged the already dead body into the bush, threw him into a pit and used leaf to cover him and left him there. Having been interrogated, he led operatives to this particular location where the dead body of the deceased was found.”
When questioned about why he killed his friend following the theft of his motorcycle, the suspect, Babalola, attributed his actions to the influence of the devil, unable to provide a coherent explanation.
Babalola confessed to engaging in motorcycle theft since 2021, having stolen more than 15 motorcycles that he sold to a buyer in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.
He admitted that this instance marked the first time he had resorted to killing his victim, unable to rationalize his motives.
