BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Parents of late Rachael Oluwatoyin, an 18-year-old girl who was allegedly gruesomely killed recently by her boyfriend have called for justice.
The aggrieved parents insisted that their daughter’s killers be executed the same way they murdered their child in cold blood.
A suspected ritualist, simply identified as Akin, popularly known as ‘O’Clumsy’ and his friend, Kabiru Oyeduntan, were arrested by men of the Osun State Police Command over the alleged killing of Oluwatoyin on Thursday, June 10 in Apomu community.
The Commissioner of Police in the Command, Olawale Olokode, had told journalists that Akin and his 40-year-old friend had connived to invite the deceased to Kabiru’s residence at Quarry area of Apomu where they allegedly killed her for money ritual purposes.
Kabiru was said to have been arrested same day in Apomu while Akin was reportedly arrested a few days later somewhere in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The CP explained that the police acted upon a tip-off that some ritualists beheaded the girl at about 9pm at Quarry area of Apomu.
Kabiru alleged that Akin invited his girlfriend to his house in Apomu from Ibadan and they killed her after having sex with her. He claimed that Akin intended to use his girlfriend’s head and heart for money ritual.
During an interview with the parents of the deceased, they denied having met Akin and Kabiru. They said that the suspects should be executed the same manner their daughter was killed.
Contrary to the claim by Kabiru, Oluwatoyin had no boyfriend and had just relocated to Apomu from Ibadan with the aim of changing environment and learning a trade.
The victim’s stepfather, Adewale Ayinla, said Oluwatoyin was not known to be promiscuous and she was an apprentice at a hairdressing salon before she was killed. According to him, family members have yet to come to terms with the circumstances surrounding their daughter’s killing.
Ayinla said, “Oluwatoyin is a daughter to me although I am not her biological father. Her mother, who is my wife, brought her in after I married her. She was four years old then. I took care of her till she clocked 18.
“She was not a bad girl; she was schooling in Ibadan before she opted to train as a hair dresser. She moved down to Apomu as a result of that decision.
“Her mother asked her to come to the farm and help us out because we are farmers. That was when the problem started. She (Oluwatoyin) had come to help us out with the aim of returning to her hairdressing training soon afterwards. We invited her over but we never saw her. On the third day, I went to the place where she was living and saw people mourning her death.
“They broke the news to me saying that they learnt of Oluwatoyin’s death on Facebook. They narrated the story of how she was reportedly killed and butchered by some hoodlums.
“I never saw her with any man. She never introduced anyone to us as her boyfriend. Her death is very painful to us and what we are asking for is justice. We heard that the suspects had been arrested and we want them to be executed in the same manner they killed our daughter without any delay.”
The victim’s mother, Mrs Sade Adewale, said the deceased returned to Apomu, her hometown in March this year from Ibadan.
She said, “Oluwatoyin was my fourth child. She hails from Apomu. She is from Aragberi Compound in Apomu. I was at Eleyele Farm in Ikoyi when I sent her to buy what we would eat but she didn’t show up the next day. I expected her but didn’t see her. On the third day, her father returned to the farm and went in search of her. We later heard the news that my daughter had been killed.
“I never saw my daughter in company with any man while she was alive. She relocated to Apomu about three months ago. I took her to the farm to support us in order to raise the sum of N10,000 for her training. I have yet to hear anything about those who killed my daughter. I don’t want my daughter’s killers to be spared. They should be killed the same way my daughter was killed.”
Oluwatoyin’s mistress, Mrs Ademola Fatimo, described her as a very good girl. She said, “She informed me that her mother needed her assistance on the farm so I gave her permission. I later heard that she was killed. Those responsible should be made to face the law.”
Recall that the police in the state had recently arrested four men in Kajola community over the alleged killing of a boy.
The CP, while speaking on the spate of ritual killings in the state, advised parents to be more watchful on their children and wards.
“I appeal to parents to care more for their children by ensuring that they know of their whereabouts at all times,” he said.
