The police on Thursday said they had arrested four suspects over the murder of Mrs Funke Olakurin, daughter of Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Leader of the PAN-Yoruba Social Cultural Organisation, Afenifere.
The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.
He said the suspects were arrested on April 4 during a follow-up action on a case of high profile armed robbery and kidnap that occurred in Ogun.
Mba said the arrest came after months of efforts by the police to apprehend the killers of Olakurin.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that Olakurin was attacked and murdered by unknown persons on July 12, 2019, between Kajola and Ore, along Ondo-Ore road in Ondo State.
The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Mohammed Adamu, immediately deployed the Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Mr Fimihan Adeoye, to coordinate massive manhunt for the killers.
He directed Special Forces and seasoned investigators from the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Federal SARS, Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU) from the Force Headquarters to carry out the investigation.
The directive was to ensure that the perpetrators were arrested and brought to justice.
“Having established sufficient physical and forensic evidence linking the suspects to the murder of Olakunrin, the investigators were determined to clear all doubts relating to their findings.
“An Identification Parade was conducted on April 8 at the Federal SARS Headquarters, Lagos and that led to the positive and physical identification of the three suspects by a survivor of the earlier crime.
“The survivor gave a clear description of the roles each of the identified suspects played in the killing.
“At this point, the suspects capitulated and voluntarily offered a no-holds-barred confession on how Mrs Funke Olakunrin was killed,” he said.
According to him, investigations have so far revealed that the operation that led to the murder was carried out by eight fully armed kidnap/robbery suspects.
He said the leader of the gang was currently at large, but added that the four arrested suspects were in the custody of the police.
Mba said that efforts were being intensified to arrest the four remaining suspects who were currently on the run.
The FPRO said that the gang had their operational base and membership spread in the southwestern part of the country and Edo.
Mba said that investigations have also revealed that they were responsible for a series of high profile armed robbery and kidnap operations in the region.
According to him, they also attack, vandalize and steal components of critical national infrastructures, such as electrical and telecommunications installations.
He said that the I-G of Police had, therefore, declared the principal suspect wanted for his involvement in the death of Olakunrin.
“The principal suspect is a Nigerian, speaks Hausa, Fulfulde and Pidgin English. He is fair in complexion and in his late 20s – between the age of 27 and 30.
“His last known address is Isanlu, Kogi and has visible scar from stitches on his forehead down to his nose and mouth,” he said.
Mba said the I-G pledged diligent prosecution of culprits and commended Nigerians for their patience and support to the police throughout the period of the investigations.
