By: Sunday Ameh
Tension gripped the community of Iboropa Akoko in the Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State on Friday after a 21-year-old man was arrested in connection with the rape and murder of an elderly woman identified as Olaseni Veronica.
The suspect, Alabi Anthony, was apprehended following a swift investigation by operatives of the Ondo State Police Command after the woman’s body was discovered under suspicious circumstances within the community.
According to police spokesman Abayomi Jimoh, detectives acted on credible intelligence and were able to track the victim’s missing mobile phone, which led to the suspect’s identification and arrest.
“The suspect has confessed to the crime, admitting to having carnal knowledge of the victim and thereafter strangling her to death,” Jimoh said in a statement.
The discovery of the woman’s body threw residents of Iboropa Akoko into mourning, while the suspect’s return to the scene for identification purposes drew a large, agitated crowd. Security operatives moved swiftly to prevent the situation from escalating, quickly whisking the suspect away from the gathering.
A video purportedly showing the suspect speaking while in police custody circulated on social media, though its content has not been officially verified by the command.
The police spokesman said the case has since been transferred to the Command Headquarters in Akure for further investigation and prosecution.
The Command’s Commissioner of Police used the occasion to urge residents to report suspicious incidents promptly and avoid hasty conclusions in cases of unnatural deaths, noting that timely reports aid effective investigations.
“The Command condemns this heinous and inhumane act and assures the public that justice will be diligently pursued,” Jimoh added.
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