A 49-year-old commercial transporter, Saburi Lateef, has admitted to strangling a retired civil servant, Mrs Adedotun Oluwaseun, and inflicting severe machete injuries on her at her home in the Bode Olude neighborhood of Abeokuta, Ogun State. The suspect, widely known as Alhaji Oki Osan, was captured over ten months after the brutal incident by operatives of the Ogun State Police Command following intensified investigations.
According to police authorities, the breakthrough came after the state command's leadership directed detectives to thoroughly review the unresolved case. Investigators initially suspected the attack was driven by a belief that the victim had recently accessed her retirement funds, prompting the perpetrator to break into her apartment through a window while she was attending a retirement celebration nearby.
What led to the breakthrough in the investigation?
The breakthrough occurred when state police operatives intensified forensic and intelligence tracking following direct oversight from the command leadership. Although initial leads proved difficult, persistent questioning and digital tracking eventually linked Lateef to the crime scene, culminating in his arrest nearly a year after the incident.
According to police findings, the intruder ransacked the residence and attacked the victim when she returned unexpectedly, strangling her to prevent her from shouting before using a cutlass found in the home to inflict multiple injuries. The assailant then moved the body onto a toilet closet to confirm her death before fleeing the premises.
Conversely, the suspect offered a different motive during interrogation, claiming the altercation stemmed from an unresolved financial disagreement involving the sum of N3.45m. Lateef stated that he had known the victim for approximately a decade and had handed over the proceeds from selling his broken-down truck to her in anticipation of securing a vehicle loan. He alleged that frustration over her failure to return the funds or provide the loan drove him to commit the act while under the influence of alcohol.
What was the reaction of the victim's family?
The victim's family vehemently rejected the suspect's claims regarding a financial transaction, stating that none of them had ever encountered him or heard of him prior to the tragedy. The eldest daughter, Mrs Taiwo Atanda, explained that the family grew alarmed when her mother failed to answer phone calls the day after attending a social gathering. Neighbors sent to check on the retired civil servant eventually discovered her remains in the restroom.
Atanda expressed profound shock upon realizing that the suspect had brazenly joined grieving visitors who trooped to the residence to commiserate with the family immediately after the murder was uncovered. The family has since appealed to law enforcement agencies and the Ogun State Government to ensure a thorough prosecution and deliver absolute justice.
Confirming the development, the command spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, commended the diligence and tenacity of the investigating team. He reiterated the resolve of the security agency to rid the region of violent criminals and ensure that perpetrators of heinous crimes face the full weight of the law.