FAKE NEWS: No suspect arrested over death of Oyo hotelier, says police – Nexus News
The Oyo police command has refuted reports spreading on social media that the suspected killers of Olugbenga Owolabi, a hotelier, have been arraigned.
Adewale Osifeso, Oyo police spokesperson, refuted the report in an interview with Newsmen, on Monday.
On July 28, gunmen kidnapped Owolabi and Rachael Opadele, a student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), at Abba community, Ogbomoso, Oyo state.
On August 2, the gunmen reportedly killed the hotelier and the student, who was revealed to be working with Owolabi due to the ongoing strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The kidnappers were disclosed to have killed the abductees after receiving a ransom of N
A family source had revealed that the motorcyclist who transported the person scheduled to deliver the ransom was shot dead in the bush, while the ransom-bearer sustained injuries.
The killing of the student had also resulted in a protest by LAUTECH students.
Over the weekend, unverified reports circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp, stating that officers of the Oyo state police command have arraigned the suspected killers of the hotelier and LAUTECH student.
The trending unverified reports, shared alongside a photograph, stated that the immediate younger brother of the deceased hotelier was arrested as being the alleged mastermind of the abduction.
“Police had arrested Femi Owolabi, the immediate younger brother of late Gbenga Owolabi, an hotelier in Ogbomoso, who was kidnapped and later killed by the kidnappers alongside LAUTECH student, Rachael,” a viral social media post claims
“By then, all fingers were pointing at herdsmen as the perpetrators of the crime. But the suspect, Femi Owolabi, has owned up to the crime and blamed the devil over what happened in his confessional statement made to the Police. Wonders shall never end!”
Reacting to the social media claim, Ayo Owolabi, the elder brother of the deceased who spoke on behalf of the family, informed Newsmen that the family had no sibling named ‘Femi Owolabi.
He also said that no family member was arrested in connection with the kidnap and death of the deceased.
Another relative of the family, who asked not to be named, said the report was to divert attention.
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“I believe the story of the arrest was planted to divert attention from the real culprits,” the source said.
‘NO ARREST MADE’
Speaking with Newsmen, Osifeso stated that the Oyo police command has not made any arrest on the case, noting that investigation into the incident has commenced.
“If the Oyo state police command makes any arrest concerning cases like this, definitely, we would have a press conference or briefing and invite journalists to let them know that we have some persons in custody,” he said.
“But apparently, since we did not have any of such, what does that imply? A lot of calls have come in about this. We don’t have any of such. Investigations are ongoing as we speak because we have expanded the angles of the investigation.
“The CP has directed the homicide section of the criminal investigation department to pick up the matter. If we make any of such arrest, definitely, we owe it to the members of the public to bring such persons or groups of people out for them to see.”
Meanwhile, the photograph of Femi Owolabi, the head of investigations of Cable Newspaper Journalism Foundation (CNJF), was posted on social media as the alleged killer of the hotelier.
Speaking on the development, the journalist stated that he had received calls and messages from family members, friends and colleagues on the content of the viral post.
“In the last 24 hours, I have received calls and messages — drawing my attention to a report making the rounds about the confession of a certain Femi Owolabi who allegedly killed his elder brother,” the journalist said in a statement.
“From the report, Femi Owolabi was paraded by the Oyo state police command and had confessed to killing his brother, an action he now blamed on the devil.
“The said elder brother, Gbenga Owolabi, was based in the US and had come to Nigeria where he was reportedly kidnapped and subsequently murdered by his abductors in Oyo state.
“I like to inform the public that the Femi Owolabi here is NOT me. The public should also note that a picture of me attached to a viral report of the incident is a regrettable and negligent mix-up, and should be totally ignored. I have already commenced action to address it.
“I must state unequivocally that, not only am I not the Femi Owolabi in question, I am also in no way related to the family of the slain Gbenga Owolabi.”
