The Ogun State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps), arrested a 45-year-old man, Gbenga Ogunfadeke, over unlawful confinement and torture of two of his biological children which resulted in their deaths.
This was contained in a statement e-signed by the Amotekun Corps Commandant, CP David Akinremi (rtd), made available to the Tribune Online, on Wednesday, in Abeokuta, that the suspect was arrested following a complaint by the ex-wife of the suspect, identified as Busola Otusegun.
The mother of the victims was said to have reported the case to the operatives of the agency at Ibiade in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun state.
According to the complainant, she had three children with the suspect before their marriage broke down some years past, and the suspect requested that the children should be in his custody.
Otusegun said she agreed to the request of her erstwhile husband when she relocated to Delta State.
The complainant according to the statement said she had no direct contact with his three children since she left the marriage, while she put the ages of the children at 18 and 17 years respectively.
The mother of three said she got to know about the deaths of her children when her third child ran into one of her siblings at Ibiade, and narrated how their father allegedly maltreated them which led to the deaths of his siblings.
The statement reads partly, “According to the complainant when her marriage to the suspect broke up some years back, the ex-husband insisted he wanted the custody of their three children whose age ranges from 18, 17, and 16 which was agreed upon. Though she relocated to Warri, Delta State and got married there, she was in constant touch with the suspect concerning the welfare of the three children and was always told all was well with them. She however did not have direct access to any of them.
“On 30th March 2023, one of the three children came across his aunty in Ibiade where he currently lives with his father (suspect) and narrated their experience with their father which led to the death of his two (2) elder siblings – Yusuf Ogunfadeke ‘M’ 18 years and Dasola Ogunfadeke ‘F’ 17 years between April and June 2022 in Ijebu-Ode where they were all living with the suspect until he relocated back to Ibiade.
“According to him, their father (suspect) chained and locked them in a solitary confinement, without food and water for over three (3) months which led to the death of two siblings but he miraculously survived the ordeal.”
Upon interrogation, the suspect admitted the alleged confinement of the children for months, however, denied not feeding them which was attributed to being the cause of their deaths.
Ogunfadeke was quoted to have said that his action was borne out of his children’s involvement in stealing while claiming that the victims fell ill at different times were taken to hospital and died in the process of receiving treatments.
“The suspect, when interrogated, though admitted the alleged confinement of the children for months, denied not feeding them and being responsible for their death. According to him, his action was based on the children’s involvement in stealing hence the need to ensure they are prevented from such criminal acts. He further claims that the two (2) deceased were taken to the hospital for treatment at different times, they fell ill but unfortunately died in the process.
“What is however curious about his defence is that the hospital where he claimed the two children died in Ijebu Ode could neither be located nor where he allegedly buried them behind a rented apartment he lived in Ijebu-Ode before relocating to his present abode in Ibiade with the third child for possible exhumation be traced. The fact that he refused to make the incidents known to any member of the family also gives course for concern more so when the suspect is a herbalist, thus further fueling the suspicion of having killed the deceased for possible rituals,” the statement said further.
Akinremi said the case is being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigeria Police for further investigation, with a view to establishing further facts that would facilitate his prosecution.
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