A two-storey building suspected to be a hideout of ritualists and kidnappers was on Monday discovered in Alagbaka area of Akure, the capital city of Ondo State.
The uncompleted building is located a few meters away from the Ondo State House of Assembly and it is behind the popular government-owned events centre, the Gani Fawehinmi Arcade, said to be owned by a retired civil servant in the state.
The abandoned uncompleted building was discovered by the residents of the area who suspected that some men were always inside the building performing numerous secret activities on daily basis.
A resident of the area, on condition of anonymity told our correspondent that the building has been abandoned for a long time and many residents of the area did not know the owner.
He explained that a security operative attached to one of the buildings in the area shot a bird on a tree beside the suspected ritualists den. On hearing the sound of the gun, the suspected hoodlums reportedly rushed out and fled.
He narrated, “The suspects taught the gunshot was from policemen who came for them. They quickly rushed out, so some okada riders in the area helped us to chase and arrest four of them and we later handed them over to the police.”
The source added that it was a timely intervention of policemen that saved the suspects from being lynched by the angry residents of the area.
When our correspondent visited the building, some women underwears, sandals, slippers, cooking utensils, sleeping mattress, toothpastes and toothbrushes amongst other items were discovered inside it.
Also, a long rope was also found inside one of the rooms of the building, the rope was tied to the ceiling of the building at one end while the other end of the rope was knotted while some planks were underneath the rope. The rope was suspected to be used for hanging of victims of the ritualists.
In his reaction, the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Femi Joseph, who confirmed the development said many suspects have been arrested in connection with the suspected ritualists’ hideout.
He said, “We have arrested quite a number of them and we are currently interrogating them, it is after the interrogation and investigation that we can conclude whether they are ritualists or not.”
Joseph, who did not specify the number of suspects arrested, stated that the suspects would be charged to court before the end of this week.
Credit: punchng.com
