Police

The Police Command in Ogun has arrested a 33- year -old man, name withheld, for allegedly hacking a farmer, David Adima, to death.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ahmed Ilyasu, told journalists that the suspect was arrested in Abeokuta on Aug.15 along with 42 other suspects.

He said the suspect had on Aug.13, trespassed into a cassava farm belonging to Adima in Sojulu Village, Ifo Local Government Area of the state, to uproot cassava tubers.

The police boss said the suspect, who was caught in the act by the late Adima, was said to have attacked him with a machete to prevent him from raising alarm during which the deceased sustained cuts around the neck region and died on the farm.

Ilyasu said that the suspect fled the scene of the crime but was apprehended by the police two days later.

He described Kelani as a “serial thief” who specialised in stealing farm produce in the community, adding that he had once been punished for stealing tomatoes from another farm.

The suspect, who spoke with newsmen, however, denied hacking Adima to death.

Kelani claimed that it was the deceased who first attacked him on the farm, adding that it was in the process of wresting the machete away from him that Adima had his neck cut.

The suspect, who admitted going to Adima’s farm to steal cassava crops, said he intended to process the produce into cassava flakes (garri).

Iliyasu said police recovered dangerous weapons such as guns, cutlasses, axe and assorted charms from the other suspects who were arrested for alleged crimes ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping, human trafficking and murder.

(NAN)