Badoo Killings: Police claims Oil Marketer/Shrine owner is in Custody but Suspect says Otherwise

Controversy trails the whereabouts of an Alhaji Alaka Abayomi who was on Monday arrested in connection with the attack on a family of five said to be carried out by the infamous Badoo cult.

Alaka, who is known to be an independent oil marketer, owner of Alaka Petroleum, was arrested alongside two others, according to Punch.

Alaka led a team of officials from the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team, Rapid Response Squad, Special Anti-Robbery Squad and the task force personnel, to his shrine in the Agbowa area of Ikorodu.

The shrine was housed on a large expanse of land bordered by what the police termed a “thick bush.”

The Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer Olarinde Famous-Cole in a statement said:

The team, which was led by the Commissioner of Police, represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, uncovered the shrine of the dreaded cult terrorising residents of Ikorodu.

The team had earlier arrested one Alhaji Alaka Abayomi, a resident of Magodo, and he has been linked to the cult and the recent murder of the Adejare family of five, who were attacked in their one-bedroom apartment in Oke Ota, Ibeshe Ikorodu.

The suspect confessed to know others, who own shrines in the area and led the police to the cult’s shrine in Agbowa town. Different ritual objects and charms were recovered in each of the five buildings in the compound which was fenced with charms to scare away intruders. The compound was always under lock and key. The police also made two different arrests as surveillance has been heightened.

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However, on Tuesday, when Punch visited the suspect’s house, his security said he has been released by the police.

The security said Alaka was released earlier on Tuesday morning but was not home at the time of visit. He requested for the number of the correspondent, promising to give it to Alaka.

Alaka called the correspondent Tuesday evening and said he had been released by the police as they did not have enough evidence to hold him. He said:

I am at home now; you can come now. How did people arrive at the name Badoo? Nobody knows those who are perpetrating the attacks. I have been living in Ikorodu for over 30 years and everybody knows me. I am into oil and gas.

I use the shrine for healing different ailments. I took the police there. They didn’t allow journalists to interview me and they didn’t take my statement. I will sue the police for blackmailing me.

Let them bring out any exhibit found in the shrine or in my house. Why did they release me if indeed I have connection with Badoo? They said investigation would continue.

When Olarinde Famous-Cole was contacted after the phone call, he said the suspect was in police custody assisting policemen with the Badoo investigation. He said:

He is assisting the police with investigations. Through investigations, we discovered that hoodlums in the area wanted to start protests. And it is possible that the evidence that may be used against him and others may be destroyed at the shrine, his home or place of business.

We have gone to secure all those things, with the suspect in our custody. We will get back to you on what we have done. The suspect is still in our custody, but was told to go and protect those evidences with investigators.