It was a shocking revelation when a suspected murderer, Dolapo Babalola told the Ondo State Police Command how he used a stone and a stump to kill his childhood friend in Okeigbo in the Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo local government area of the state.
Accordingbto Babalola, he killed his friend intending to steal his motorcycle which he sold to a buyer at Ibadan, Oyo State capital at the sum of N130.000. He dumped the remains in a nearby bush and covered him with tree branches.
While speaking with journalists, Babalola who said he is a serial motorcycle thief blamed the killing of Opeyemi Oyelakin, his childhood friend on the devil.
The Commissioner of Police, Abayomi Oladipo has paraded Babalola, 39 for allegedly killing Oyelakin and stealing his motorcycle in Ondo in Ondo West Local government area of the state.
Babalola said: “It is the work of the devil, I can’t explain because this person that we are talking about is my close friend. He is a close friend of mine. Truly his bike is not the first bike I will ever snatch but I have never killed before. Even those that are not related to me I snatched bikes from them and I did not even do anything harmful to them but this one is just a coincidence.
“It is the work of the devil I can’t explain how it happened. At least I have snatched about 15 motorcycles but I have never killed before. His own is the first, my buyer in Ibadan. The nature of the bike at the time of stealing determines how much we are going to sell it, but no matter how clean the bike is, my buyer will buy it for around N200,000.
“But we sold this one at the rate of N130,000 and we share the money equally because we are two in the business. When I wanted to collect the bike from him, he dragged it with us and I hit him with a stone. I know his mum and younger brother.
I can’t explain why I killed him I am a trader I sell oranges but I don’t have a shop. I do go to villages to buy oranges. I am from Oyo state, Ibadan precisely. But, I reside in Ondo town, I’m yet to marry, and this would be the first time I will come to this area. Of which I had been in the business since 2021/2022.”
The police boss said on March 25, a complaint was received from Ondo Town, that a motorcycle with registration number KAK 136 VF was stolen on 15/3/2024 while the rider, Evangelist Opeyemi Oyelakin was nowhere to be found.
However, he said detectives swung into action and arrested one Babalola Dolapo Daniel same date. During interrogation, the suspect confessed that the said Opeyemi Oyelakin ‘deceased’ was his childhood friend, whom they had not seen for a very long time until March 14.
The CP said “On 15/3/2024, the suspect and one Sikiru Mutiu aka S.K deceived the said Opeyemi Oyelakin, ‘deceased’ to carry them on motorcycle to where they have farm at Oke-Igbo Area
“As soon as they dropped, Sikiru Mutiu aka S.K gripped him from behind while he used a stick and stone to hit him on his head the victim died, and the corpse was dragged to a shallow pit, they covered it with leaves before his motorcycle was stolen.”
Oladipo added that the suspect took the detectives to the scene of the crime, where they perpetrated the criminal act, and the corpse together with the stick and stone was recovered.