By Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
Nigerian Correctional Service, Ogun State Command, has refuted the report making the rounds in some online media and radio programme that one of the suspected killers of Sofiat Okeowo, a lady alleged to have been murdered for ritual purposes in Abeokuta, Ogun State in January 2022 and remanded in its custody is dead.
The rebuttal was made by the Controller of Corrections, Ogun State command, Mr Alimi Abdul-Rasheed through the Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Victor Oyeleke in a statement made available to our correspondent on Tuesday in Abeokuta.
An online media and radio programme reported that one of the suspected killers of Sofiat Okeowo, a lady alleged to have been murdered for ritual purposes in Abeokuta, Ogun State in January 2022 and remanded in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Service, Ogun State Command, is dead.
The Command stated that the three suspects in its custody are hale and hearty, adding that report of death is untrue.
The statement read partly, “The attention of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Ogun State Command has been drawn to an online media and radio programme reports that one of the suspected killers of Sofiat Okeowo, a lady alleged to have been murdered for ritual purposes in Abeokuta, Ogun State in January 2022 and remanded in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Service, Ogun State Command, is dead.
“The Nigerian Correctional Service Ogun State Command has deemed it necessary to refute the reports as it is not true. To set the records straight, the Command wishes to state that three of the suspects presently in our custody are hale and hearty.
“Recall that four of them, Waris Oladeinde, Balogun Mustakeem, Abdulgafar Lukman and Majekodunmi Soliudeen were remanded in custody by a competent court of jurisdiction on 3rd February, 2022. Waris Oladeinde was released by the court on 14th March 2022, while the other three are still remanded in custody by the order of the court.
“While the Command appreciates the efforts of the media groups who called to verify the information, admonition goes to other media organisations who are advised to verify their information from official quarters before going to press so as not to misinform the public and generate unnecessary tension.”
The Command called on the general public to disregard the fake reports and affirmed that “it is determined to meet its mandates in the areas of the safe and humane custody of offenders as well as their rehabilitation, reformation and reintegration back to the society.”