The victim identified as Mayowa Ajiboye, a mother of one and resident of Omu-Aran was equally burnt and her remains dumped inside a river by the suspect for ritual purposes.
The Kwara State Police Command has announced the arrest of one Atolagbe Yemi Oje, for allegedly raping a palm oil seller to death.
The victim identified as Mayowa Ajiboye, a mother of one and resident of Omu-Aran was equally burnt and her remains dumped inside a river by the suspect for ritual purposes.
The state police commissioner, Victor Olaiya, who disclosed the arrest to reporters on Friday, described the suspect as “a monster” and the act “barbaric”.
Olaiya said preliminary investigation had shown that the victim paid the suspect N1600 in November 2023 to fetch firewood in the forest to cook her palm fruit but he refused to supply.
However on February 22, 2024, the victim and her young daughter, Ope, then went to fetch the firewood in the bush.
While at the bush they saw the suspect who, now approached them unsolicited and joined in gathering firewood not knowing that he had evil intentions.
The Commissioner noted that the suspect deceived victim when “He asked the daughter to carry some of the firewood to where it will be used to prepare the palm fruit and then asked her to follow him deep inside the bush to gather more firewood.
"Not knowing that was to perfect his sinister motive," the CP said her daughter obeyed and left with some firewood as directed.
“After they have both gone far into the bush, the suspect suddenly held both legs of the deceased from behind while she was receiving phone call and she fell down. But she managed to use the stick in her hand to hit the suspect on his neck in defence.
“He collected the stick and used it to hit her severely on the head and she fell unconscious," the commissioner continued.
Not satisfied, according to the commissioner, "He then raped her, cut some hair from her vagina, clean the semen and blood from her private part with white handkerchief for money ritual purpose, slaughter her with her cutlass and set her remains on fire before dragging the burnt body to a river to conceal it."
The CP said that the suspect hid the deceased’s phone in the bush and threw away the sim/memory card and battery.
He said that suspect had confessed to the crime adding that investigations were still ongoing to unravel other motives after which he would be charged to court.