Prof. Was Nice To Us – Suspected Killers Of Former FUTA VC
The two suspected killers of late former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) in Ondo State, Prof. Albert Ilemobade on Monday, narrated how they allegedly strangled their boss to death.
The suspects who were his security guard/gateman, Daniel Ita from Cross Rivers State and his sacked driver, Olayemi Bamitale from Ekiti State were paraded by the Ondo State Command of the Nigerian Police in Akure.
They were arrested by men of the Ogun State Command of the Police before they were transferred to Ondo State.
The Ondo State Police command headquarters along Igbatoro road, Akure was besieged by the deceased’s family members and associates who had come to catch a glimpse of the two suspected murderers of the 78 year-old professor.
It had been reported that the octogenarian was abducted by unknown gunmen last penultimate Sunday before his decomposed body was found in an isolated store in his house.
Bamitale 36 years was said to have been sacked by late Ilemobade after he allegedly stole a Toyota RAV4 Jeep, belonging to the Professor before he returned it four days later after he could not get a buyer for the car.
The suspect was said to have been detained in police net before sympathisers appealed to the deceased to allow his bail.
Despite, his sack, Bamitale was said to maintained contact with the late Ilemobade’s security guard and allegedly planned how they would steal the car again.
Bamitale, who spoke with reporters, said the late University Don had always been nice to him and Daniel.
He explained that Daniel contacted him one day and told him that he had contacted a herbalist on how they would steal the car without landing in trouble.
The sacked driver said “After he told me about his herbalist on phone, Daniel asked me to come to the house at Ijapo estate on Sunday by 9p.m. When I got to the place, he told me that he had met his herbalist who told him that if we want to take that car we must ensure we killed Baba and that he must take away some sand from that house so that there won’t be any problem after they might have killed him.
“When I asked him how are we going to call the Prof. who is already sleeping outside? Daniel said he would lure Baba to the security room that there is a power surge and from there we will strangle him to death. And from there we will be able to come into his room and take whatever we want since Mama, who is the wife of the deceased is in another room and she won’t hear any sound.
“He went to the sitting of room of Baba and he called him that there was a power surge and Baba passed through the kitchen to the security room, it was there that we grabbed his neck until he stopped breathing. We took him to a store beside his car park and dumped his body there. We put a picture on his chest so that if the body is later found, they will think that it was those who killed him that dropped the picture.
“When we entered his room, we saw the car key and N7000 with his laptop and two phones. Daniel locked the entrance gate from outside and we went away with the Rav 4. When we were about leaving the Ijapo Estate, in Akure, the Police Officers at the gate of the estate passed us immediately they saw Daniel that was around 11P.M
“We slept at Alagbaka because Daniel’s brother who lived at Arakale in Akure refused to pick up his phone. The following morning, Daniel asked us to take the car to Calabar but I told him that the N7000 with us is not enough to buy fuel to take us to Calabar. We agreed to take the Car to Lagos. But when I explained the circumstances surrounding the car to those in Lagos, they all said they can’t buy it.
“We left the place for Ijebu-Ode, it was then the Road Safety officers arrested us that we don’t have the car documents. They took the car to a nearby police station where we were directed to pay N3000 at First Bank. There was no money on us again, and when it was the second day, we took the laptop and the two phones to Epe if we could get buyers in order to secure the release of the car.
“When we moved round, we were told that the phones have security codes and unless we flash them but they later explained to us the danger the phones may face if we flash them.
“When Daniel saw one of his kinsmen the guy agreed to buy the phones and he gave us N3000 so that we can secure the release of the seized car. I went to First bank to pay the money and we took the teller to the Road Safety office. We were given a letter which we took to the police station and they released the car for us.
“We later returned to Ijebu Ode, it was the person I contacted at Ilotin in Ijebu-Ode who called the police and we were arrested”.
But Daniel denied that he was the architect of the killing, blaming Bamitale for luring him to the evil business which took the life their boss.
The security guard, who claimed to have been working with Ilemobade for seven months, narrated that the said herbalist was treating him for hernia disease and just of recent, the late Professor gave him N5000 for the treatment.
The State Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke said they received information from Ogun State Police Command that the Professor’s night security guard, one Daniel Ita and his former Driver had been arrested with the deceased’s red Toyota Rav 4 Jeep with Registration Number GGE-589-CF.
Eke described the incident as traumatic and sad, saying the security guard was.
The Commissioner noted that with the scenario showed by the suspects by dropping the slippers and wrist watch of the Professor at the entrance gate made the police and family believed that he was kidnapped.
“We are sad that he was murdered by the people he fed on daily basis. I want to appeal to the people to always know the background of those they want to employ as domestic workers or they should contact the police to help in conducting the investigation” he said.
dailyindependentnig
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