How transporter killed Ogun retiree, joined mourners

Family disputes suspect’s N3.45m claim

FORTY-nine-year-old transporter, Saburi Lateef, was among the mourners who gathered at the home of Mrs Adedotun Oluwaseun, a 62-year-old retired confidential secretary with the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board, after she was found murdered.

Now, police have arrested him in connection with the killing of the woman, popularly known as Big Mummy, at her residence in the Agbakin-Emere area of Bode Olude, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Lateef, a neighbour of the deceased, allegedly confessed to entering her apartment through a window while she was away at a friend’s retirement party in the Rounder area of Abeokuta.

His arrest followed a directive by the Inspector-General of Police, Rilwan Disu, to the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Olubode Ojajuni, to unravel the circumstances of the killing and bring those responsible to justice.

The suspect, popularly known as Alhaji Oki Osan, claimed that the deceased had refused to return N3.45 million he entrusted to her and had failed to fulfil a promise to lend him money.

Her family, however, disputed his account, saying they knew of no relationship or financial dealings between them.

A police source at the Homicide Section of the Ogun State Police Command, Eleweran, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said investigators initially had little information linking anyone to the crime.

“At the beginning, there was no link to the perpetrators, but our CP, Olubode Ojajuni, directed that we should do everything possible to unravel the killing,” the source said.

The source said investigators were also considering whether the suspect had intended to rob the retiree because he believed she had recently received her gratuity.

According to the source, Lateef was searching the apartment when the woman returned home. He allegedly strangled her, inflicted machete cuts on her body and moved her remains to the toilet, where he placed them on the toilet seat.

The source said the suspect allegedly spent more than an hour in the apartment without attracting the attention of other neighbours.

Suspect alleges dispute over money

Giving his account, Lateef claimed he had known the deceased for about 10 years, dating back to when her house was under construction.

He said they became close after she moved into the building.

According to him, his financial difficulties began when his truck broke down and he could not raise enough money to repair it. He subsequently parked it in the Bode Olude area before selling it as scrap.

“I sold the vehicle for N3.5 million, out of which I gave about N50,000 to the people who worked around where the truck was parked,” he said.

He claimed that before the sale, he had approached the deceased for a loan to buy another truck and that she had promised to assist him.

Lateef alleged that he subsequently handed the remaining N3.45 million to her for safekeeping.

He claimed that when the promised loan did not materialise, he demanded the return of his money, but she repeatedly put him off.

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The suspect admitted that nobody else knew about the alleged transaction and that he did not report the dispute to any neighbour.

Recounting what allegedly happened on the day of the killing, Lateef said he had been drinking and was determined to recover the money.

He said he removed the burglary proof bars from one of the windows and entered the sitting room while the deceased was away.