A 90-year-old man, Ajayi Ajisegiri, has been reportedly strangled to death by a commercial motorcyclist in lrese community, lfedore council area of Ondo state, in a desperate bid to steal the community’s oracle.
Consequently, two suspects, Dada Ologundundun, aged 71yrs and John Samson 27yrs have been arrested by police detectives and being detained.
Reports had it that the deceased was a Chief, oracle custodian and also the head of hunters in the community.
His gruesome death at Oke Mission, in the town, had thrown the entire community into grief and confusion.
Vanguard gathered that the suspect after committing the deadly act, was arrested by the resident of the community while attempting to flee.
A local who spoke with Vanguard in confidence, said that ” the lifeless body of the Ajisegiri was found in his room, a day after he threatened to report the suspect to the whole community for stealing the community’s spiritual property, ‘Osho Osi Ode’ which was kept in the deceased’s custody.
Speaking on the incident, the suspect’s landlady, Mrs Beatrice Ademeti, said that the deceased came to her house a day before the incident, informing the suspect to return the community oracle he took from his house or he would report him to the entire community.
Ademeti said the suspect claimed to be a herbalist.
According to her, the suspect became close to the deceased and because he claimed to be an herbalist, the deceased ignorantly told him everything the oracle is being used for.
“The motorcyclist cannot say he’s not responsible for the death of Ajisegiri, because on the night of the incident, I overheard the deceased shouting at the suspect, saying he gave him a day to return the community’s property he took in his room or else he would report the case to the whole town the next day.
“The suspect later came back at night to give baba three sachet of alcoholic drink which made the deceased slept off”
“The next day around 8:00am, l noticed the deceased has not opened his door which was unusual of him.
“I called other neighbours around and I explained to them that the deceased had not opened his door since morning, which made them force his door open.
“To our surprise, we found his lifeless body on the floor in his room with bruises and blood on his neck.”
Police sources said that the assailant gained entry through the window and strangled the victim.
Vanguard gathered that the suspect was prevented from escaping after the death of the oracle custodian and was taken to the palace of the monarch of the town.
The suspect was later handed over to police detectives at the Ijare Police Station.
It was learnt that the suspect initially denied stealing the oracle and killing the victim but he later recanted after he was threatened by the community leaders.
He reportedly confessed to be in possession of the community’s oracle and told the community leaders where he hid the oracle after which it was retrieved with the help of the police detectives and was taken back to the community shine.
The oracle was found in an uncompleted building where the suspect kept it.
Police source told Vanguard that the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Akure, for further investigation.
The police spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami, confirmed the ugly incident.
Odunlami added that two suspects have been arrested and being detained for questioning.
