Masquerade Alleged To Have Killed Islamic Cleric Now At Large

THE SUSPECTS PARADED BY THE POLICE IN ABEOKUTA

The masquerade that allegedly shot dead an Islamic cleric, Lateef Amusa , in Ijaye area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital during Egungun festival has vanished into thin air.State Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, in a press briefing at the Command Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, said that contrary to media report that the masquerade was among those arrested, the Command did not have the masquerade, known as ‘Leyin Aponle,’ in its custody.
It would be recalled that Amusa was reportedly killed by a masquerade during Egungun festival, which led to the burning down of the masquerade’s family house.
While giving an update on the incident, the Police Command had said four suspects, including a masquerade have been arrested over the death of Amusa; however, when parading 16 suspects for various offences, the Commissioner said only three persons had been arrested.
He said: “As an African, no one can arrest Egungun, only human beings that commit offences that are arrested. We don’t have masquerade in our custody. We have arrested human beings and they would be charged to court after investigation.”
One Ajani Olabimtan, one of the suspects paraded by the police for the alleged murder, claimed the masquerade was a Lagos based bus conductor who absconded after the incident.
According to him, “the masquerade was my boy. I am a transporter in Lagos and I followed Kazeem to Abeokuta to celebrate the festival. He has run away.
“In fact, I came to tell the police about the incident before I was arrested. It was not the masquerade that killed the man. It was done by some cultists who rammed into our procession.”
InformationNigeria