The police in Ondo State have arrested a 39-year-old motorcycle snatcher, Dolapo Babalola, who allegedly killed his childhood friend, Opeyemi Oyelakin, and stole his motorcycle.

SP Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, the command’s spokesperson, told journalists in Akure on Sunday that the incident happened in Ondo town.

She said the suspect was arrested following the complaint received on March 25 that a motorcycle, marked KAK 136 VF, was stolen, and the rider was nowhere to be found.

According to Ms Odunlami-Omisanya, consequent upon this report, detectives swung into action and arrested one Babalola on the same date.

She said that during interrogations, the suspect confessed that “the said Opeyemi Oyelakin, the ‘deceased’, was his childhood friend, and they had not seen for a very long time until March 14, 2024”.

The PPRO explained that the suspect and one Sikiru Mutiu, aka S.K., still at large, deceived Mr Oyelakin on March 15 into taking them on his motorcycle to their farm in the Oke-Igbo area.

“As soon as they dropped, Mutiu gripped Oyelakin from behind while the suspect used a stick and stone to hit him on his head, and the victim died.

“The corpse was dragged to a shallow pit, and they covered it with leaves before his motorcycle was stolen,” the PPRO quoted the suspect as saying.

Ms Odunlami-Omisanya, who said the suspect took the detectives to the crime scene, said the corpse, together with the stick and stone used in carrying out the crime, was recovered.

According to the police spokesperson, the suspect stated that he has a large syndicate and has been snatching motorcycles since 2021.

“Since 2021, the suspect has snatched an uncountable number of motorcycles, and he normally uses sticks and stones on his victims while his operational zones are Ondo town, Akure, Ekiti, Ilesha and Ife town.

“Meanwhile, the command is intensifying efforts to get everyone connected to the crime arrested and prosecuted accordingly,” she said.

The PPRO warned members of the public, particularly motorcycle riders, to be mindful of the type of people they carried and the terrains they entered with their motorcycles. 

(NAN)