The driver of the deceased Femi Ebeoluwa, a former Ogun State Permanent Secretary and his wife, Funmi has stated reason their gang murdered the couple at their residence at Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos State.
The suspects – Adeyemo Wale and one Kingsley- who were recently arrested for the murder of the couple confessed that they killed them because they recognised him during operation.
Wale said the operation went awry when he was identified by the family and he decided to wipe out the family and their female domestic staff, regretting that while the house help survived the attack, the couple died.
He and one other of his gang members were among 40 suspects paraded day by Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Idowu Owohunwa, at Police Officers’ Mess, Ikeja.
Wale confessed to the police that he hired two robbers to perpetrate the dastardly act.
‘‘I used to work for the Ebeoluwas. One day, I told them to pay me off as I didn’t want to work for them again. They actually paid me off, but few weeks, I squandered the money. So, I was thinking of what to do.
‘‘I later hired two persons to follow me for the robbery. It was while we were at home that my former employer and his wife identified me, so I had to kill them.”
He said that his attempt to also kill the female domestic worker who also identified him, failed as she was found unconscious when the Police arrived.
Wale told detectives that: ‘‘I didn’t want to kill them. I only wanted to collect money and leave. I didn’t know they were preparing to travel the next day for medical check-up. It was just a coincidence. We went to his office first but didn’t see Oga, before going to the house.
‘‘We attacked Madam first. The plan was just to scare them and collect money. But she recognised me. We didn’t use knife or gun. We used wedge shoe to hit her. We also used wood, pliers and our fists on her until she passed out. We met her downstairs. Thereafter, we went upstairs and met oga, who was not very strong.
“The maid recognised me too. We beat her until she passed out. We didn’t know she did not die.”
Owohunwa who was represented by Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Benjamin Hudenyin, while reeling out the achievements of the command in the last one month, said, ‘‘investigation revealed that Wale who was formerly an employee of the couple, requested to be paid off and was obliged sometime in February during the cash crunch . He recruited Kingsley to aid his plans of robbing the victims.
“The robbery then led to the gruesome murder of the couple and vicious attack of the housemaid. The suspects went away with unaccounted sum of money in Dollars and Naira with two Samsung smart phones.”
One of the suspects hired by Wale is still on the run, while the police have stepped up manhunt for him.
The remains of the couple were interred last Wednesday.