Oyo Assembly alleges security compromise in escape of serial killer from custody

Oyo State House of Assembly on Tuesday came hard on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Muhammed Adamu and the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joe Enwonwu over the escape of a serial killer, Sunday Shodipe from custody.

The state House of Assembly said the incident was an embarrassment to the entire police force.

Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, who made the assertion during plenary in Ibadan, insisted that the escape of the suspect was surprising.

It would be recalled that Sunday Shodipe, a suspect who was arrested in connection with killings of Barakat Bello, Azeezat Shomuyiwa and a five-year-old boy identified as Mujeeb, had earlier been paraded along with two others on 17th July this year.

However, the police under the leadership of Enwonwu on Sunday, said the suspect has escaped from Police custody.

In a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer (PRO) Mr. Olugbenga Fadeyi, Oyo State Police command said that the suspect escaped after he was charged to court.

But, Ogundoyin while reacting, said it was a pity that the police were careless in their duties.

He said, “Security is one of the cardinal programmes of our administration. But the escape of a serial killer in Police Custody is surprising.

“This explains why people clamour for State Police. People will be forced to provide their own security as it happened in Okeho when Bank robbers were apprehended by the locals.”

Our correspondent reports that the Assembly has directed its Committee on Security and Strategy to urgently meet with Enwonwu to ascertain and unravel the circumstances surrounding the escape of Shodipe.

The directive was part of resolutions reached by the Assembly while deliberating on a Matter of Urgent Public Importance introduced by a member representing Akinyele constituency 1, Hon Ayo Fatokun.

The matter centres on the need to restore peace and order in Akinyele Local in Ibadan.

Fatokun explained that one Mrs Funmilayo was butchered to death, a day after the mysterious escape of Sunday Shodipe from Mokola Police Station, a development that has again thrown the whole council into fear.

The House then urged the Commissioner of police to urgently put measures in place to ensure the rearrest and prompt prosecution of the prime suspect and other accomplices in the gruesome murder of not less than six people in the Local Government while equally calling for the deployment of more security agents to the council.

It appealed to the Board of Oyo State Security Network codenamed Operation Amotekun to expedite action on the ongoing recruitment of officers into the corps so as to collaborate with other security agencies in promoting peace and security in Akinyele and other areas across the state.

Other lawmakers among whom are Deputy Speaker, Hon Muhammad Fadeyi, Hon Adeola Bamidele (Iseyin/Itesiwaju), Hon Olusola Owolabi (Ibadan North East 2) and Hon Oluwafemi Oluwafowokanmi (Ibadan South East 2) in their contributions, condemned what they called the lackadaisical attitude of the men of the Nigerian Police to their job of securing the lives and properties of the citizens.

They argued that for a serial killer to escape from Police Custody without the cell or prison being broken was not only sad but despicable.

They said that the escape showed that security has been compromised.