Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
Two brothers, Ayomide Babatunde and Gbenga Babatunde have been arrested for attempting to sell a 45 – year old woman and her Nine years old son for N600,000:00 after they had abducted them.
The suspects were arrested on Friday by the police at Oja Odan area of Ogun state in a home of the supposed buyer.
Events leading to their arrest began on December 27 when the two brothers were negotiating on phone to sell a human being either in parts or alive depending on how the buyer wanted it for money making ritual.
The supposed buyer, one Jacob Olorunto, informed the Baale of the community about the intention of the suspects, and the Baale quickly alerted the police.
The supposed buyer was advised by the Police to play along with the suspects in order to save the would – be – victims.
The suspects later called the supposed buyer, Jacob Olorunto, to brief him that they had gotten two human beings – a woman and her male child, for sale.
It was learnt that they haggled for the price of mother and son on phone and settled for six hundred thousand naira (N600,000).
It was learnt that on Thursday, one of the suspects, Ayomide Babatunde went to Ilaro and lured his 45 year – old woman friend; Taye Oluwole, to follow him to Oja Odan with her nine – year – old son Remilekun Oluwole, to celebrate the New year with his father.
The police public relations officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed this on Friday, saying the woman innocently followed Ayomide and along the road, they stopped over to pick the second suspect, Gbenga Babatunde.
Oyeyemi, a Superintendent of Police, explained that the suspects took the victims to Igbo Obe area of Oja Odan to meet the supposed buyer Jacob Olorunto where they were rounded up by policemen in collaboration with some youths in the area at about 12:30 midnight.
The woman and her son were rescued.
The suspects had admitted to the alleged crime, according to the police.
The Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, has ordered that the suspects be transferred to State Criminal Investigation Departments for further investigation and diligent prosecution.
