The Police have declared the prime suspect of the New Year day murder of a couple, Kehinde and Bukola Fatinoye, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Lekan, who escaped from police custody, declaring him wanted. The Ogun State Police Command also commenced immediate manhunt for the fleeing Lekan.
The police in a public notice declared: “Wanted! Wanted!! Wanted!!! This is the guy suspected to have been part of the culprits that murdered a couple in Abeokuta on New Year’s Eve. His name is Lekan. He is currently at large and has been declared wanted by the Police. Anyone who knows or sees him should contact the nearest police station. Kindly share.”
The police arrested Lekan and detained him at Ibara Police Station after the couple’s house help, who escaped murder by the killers, identified Lekan as one of the persons at the murder scene.
Lekan was arrested on Tuesday and kept in custody at Ibara Police Divisional Headquarters before his escape.
The police were alleged to have kept the identity of Lekan, the driver to the late Mrs Fatinoye, until Friday, a top secret.
According to sources, Lekan has been driving Mrs. Fatinoye for about two years and was well known in the Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB) community where Fatinloye was working.
Lekan was arrested after the arrest of a house help to the Fatinoyes, who implicated him.
Lekan was said to have played a fast game at the police when, at the point of making statement at the station, he slumped and was almost lifeless.
The Command rushed Lekan to a police clinic at Zone II not far from the Secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Iwe-Iroyin, to ‘rescue’ him so as to help the police in its investigation.
During the process of ‘rescue’, Lekan was said to suddenly woke up, caught the health workers unaware, took to his heels and escaped from the clinic.