Monday Elela, the father of a 14-year-old boy, Tope Elela, who was allegedly killed and buried has confessed that he killed and buried his son for always engaging in housebreaking, stealing, and other criminal activities.
Elela who lives in Ajowa Akoko in Akoko North-West Local Government Area of Ondo State descibed the deceased son as the black sheep of the family among his seven children.
The father and his wife were alleged to have killed the Tope Elela following which they were arrested by police.
Speaking with journalists when being paraded by the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Afolabi at the police headquarters in Akure, Elela disclosed that he buried the boy in a shallow grave under a banana tree behind his house after he gave up the ghost.
“I did not know that the boy would die when I beat him in the night after he escaped from the custody of the State Security Network codename Amotekun,” Elela said.
He added that he usually hand over the late son to Amotekun or vigilante groups whenever he was arrested for stealing or other criminal activities for punishment.
Elela, however noted that his wife took to her heels alongside other children when he got to know about his arrest.
“The deceased had escaped from Amotekun’s detention and was embarrassing the family as a result of criminal activities he engaged in. When he came back, we beat him and went to sleep. The following morning, his siblings discovered that he was dead and I decided to bury him under a banana tree,” he narrated.
Elela was paraded alongside 24 other suspects by the Commissioner of Police for various crimes including murder, cultism, house breaking and stealing.
The CP also paraded those who allegedly took part in the recent cult clashes that left five persons dead in Owo, Owo local government area of the state.
Among those paraded include one Olamide Ogunseyila, a 28 years old man who confessed to being a member of a cult group.
Also, Gbenga Bisi, a 25 years old wife of Steven Dada, also known as “Ogodo,” who is currently on the run was apprehended alongside Gbenga Esther, ‘F’, age 20 years at a hideout where the Police found a double-barrel, cut-to-size gun, two expended cartridges, and additional ammunition.
The CP named others as 61-year-old man, Ijarotimi Taye who was discovered with physical injuries around his body and could not give a satisfactory account of how he got the injuries, raising suspicions about his involvement in criminal activities.
CP Afolabi added that the duo of 30-year-old Bero Adeola, and Olabode Ojo (a.k.a Paw paw), who claimed that his brother’s wife and child were killed in the melee were arrested in their hideout in Akure.
“They both confessed to being cultists belonging to the Aye group and claimed it was the Eiye and Aiye groups that were fighting.
“The suspects claimed they left Owo because of the fight because they did not want to be part of it,” the police CP said.
He further added that Ijalade Olorunfemi, ‘m’, aged 42 years, and Ayodele Olayemi, ’m’, aged 20 years have also been implicated as cultists through ongoing investigations.
“The remaining suspects are currently undergoing thorough interrogation to ascertain their roles in the crisis while the Command is intensifying efforts to apprehend Steven Dada (alias “Ogodo”) and any other individual connected to these criminal activities,” the police commissioner said.
