Vigilante leader and six others arrested with lifeless body of a man beaten to death in Ekiti State

The leader of a vigilance group in the state, Femi Ogunleye aka Akilapa, and six of his members have been arrested by the Ekiti State Police command for allegedly and illegally arresting and torturing a man to death.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Caleb Ikechukwu, who confirmed their arrest on Wednesday, said members of the suspected vigilance group had been terrorising residents of Ado-Ekiti. Ikeckukwu said the command operatives arrested Ogunleye and his members in the early hours of Monday while being in possession of a fresh body of a middle aged man identified as Oke.

He noted that the suspects were arrested while attempting to bury the remains of the deceased within the premises of Ogunleye’s residence in Ado-Ekiti.

The police spokesperson named the other suspects as Simon Oluwaghohunmi, 35; Muhammadu Saradeen, 36; Ojo Muri, 30; Peace Okon, 44; Sola Sunday, 20; and Ogunleye Onaopemipo, 20.

He said the suspected gang members on July 29 allegedly accosted the victim at Post Office area in Ado-Ekiti and forcefully took him to Ogunleye’s house where he was tortured to death. ”The gang had been charged for cultism and unlawful arrest of innocent Nigerians, their latest victim was unlawfully accosted and taken away on July 29.

The Special Anti-Robbery Squad received the information of illegal arrest and torture going on at Ogunleye’s house located on Omisanjana Road in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital. When men of SARS arrived at his house, the body was found and a grave that had been dug for its interment,” he said.

He said that police recovered from the suspects one Pump Action Gun Breech Number 000574 loaded with seven live cartridges, police belt, three cutlasses, one long stick, a sword, three battle axes, one iron rod carved like local gun, Ifa divination tools and a mini laptop computer.