The Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeniran Akinwale, said on Thursday that the police had arrested six prime suspects in connection with the kidnap and killing of the former Deputy Vice Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Prof Olorunfemi Olaofe.
Olaofe was taken away by armed men from his residence at the Federal Housing Estate, Ado Ekiti, alongside his security guard, on July 9, 2027.
He was discovered dead and buried in a shallow grave in the bush along Airport Road at Afao Ekiti on Wednesday, July 31.
The CP, in a statement on Thursday, signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, said the body of the retired university teacher had been exhumed from the shallow grave and deposited in the morgue.
Akinwale said, “An unknown gang of armed men allegedly stormed the residence of Prof. Femi Olaofe, kidnapped him alongside his security guard, one Abdul Opotu, and took them to an unknown destination with the Professor’s Toyota Camry car.”
He stated that the police, on receipt of the information, deployed Rapid Response Squad operatives to the scene for the possible rescue of the victims and the arrest of the perpetrators, noting, “They had already whisked the victims away before the arrival of the operatives. The operatives, however, combed the forest between Ado Ekiti and Afao Ekiti and recovered Olaofe’s Camry car.
The CP stated that “a discrete investigation and a painstaking operation for rescue of the victims and arrest of the perpetrators led to the arrest of one Omowaye Ayodele at Bencom Guest House, Akure, Ondo State.
“Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to the commission of the crime and mentioned one Kenneth, Amodu Gbenga, Nnamani Chukwuka and Ojо a.k.a Ojo ljan as his accomplices. He confessed further that Abdul Opotu, who was the security guard of the victim (Prof. Olaofe), was the one who invited them to kidnap the professor.
He further stated that Ayodele (suspect) said the security guard was not kidnapped alongside the professor as earlier reported, but only played along and made the operation easier for them.
Ayodele, he further disclosed, confessed that the two AK-47 rifles used to kidnap the professor were in possession of Kenneth who is currently at large.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of Amodu Gbenga, who also confessed to the commission of the crime during an investigation and further narrated how he used to supply food and water to the gang members in their hideouts located in a bush behind Government College, off Ijan Road, Ado Ekiti.
“The two suspects led the police operatives to their hideouts for the possible rescue of the victim but discovered that the gang in the custody of the victim had already relocated with the victim to another unknown location.
“Further investigation on Tuesday, July 30, led to the discovery of a shallow grave in a bush located off Afao Road, behind the new airport site, Ado Ekiti, where a human being was suspected killed and buried.
“Consequently, Order of Exhumation and Coroner Forms were obtained from the Magistrate Court, Ado Ekiti, while the Ministry of Environment was contacted. On Wednesday, July 31, the police led the Ministry of Environment and some medical practitioners to the scene where the corpse was exhumed and later identified as the earlier kidnapped Professor Olaofe,” he said. he said.
He stated that the corpse had been deposited at the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital morgue, Ado-Ekiti, for autopsy.
“Efforts are ongoing for the possible arrest of the fleeing members of the gangs including the security guard of the kidnapped and murdered professor who masterminded the crime. Meanwhile, six suspects have been arrested so far and are in custody undergoing investigation,” Akinwale stated.
