Sophia Michaels
A 37-year-old man, Taiwo Ishola, has been remanded in a correctional centre by a magistrates’ court in Abeokuta, Ondo State for the murder of his younger brother’s two children.
The suspect went to his brother, Idowu Agbaje Ishola’s house in Kemta Abata area of Abeokuta, on August 5, 2023, and took the girls, Promise, 9, and Testimony, 7, away on his motorcycle.
The children were declared missing after their parents returned home later in the evening.
Neighbours told the couple that they had seen the children with the suspect.
When he was confronted, the suspect initially denied knowing the whereabouts of the children, saying he dropped them at the market but later confessed to havING killed them and blamed it on the devils’ handiwork.
The suspect later confessed to the police and led them to the bush where he slaughtered the children.
The police arraigned the suspect on Friday, August 18, on a one-count charge of murder.
The Police Counsel, F.A. Oyewole who moved a motion in relation to Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws of Ogun, prayed for an order to remand the defendant.
Oyewole asked for the defendant’s remand for 60 days in the first instance at the Oba Correctional Centre pending advice from the state Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
According to the counsel, Ishola committed the offence on Aug. 5 at about 5:30 p.m. at Mile 6 area of Obafe road in Abeokuta. He said the defendant killed one Promise Ishola, 9, and Testimony Ishola, 7, the sons of his younger brother Idowu Ishola.
Oyewole also alleged that the defendant used a matchete to cut the children’s heads and other parts of their bodies, leading to their death.
The counsel explained that the defendant went to the younger brother’s house and picked them with a motorcycle when their parents were not around.
He said when the parents of the deceased came back from work and noticed their children were not at home, they went searching for them.
It was then a co-landlord in their area told them they saw the kids with Taiwo who is his elder brother.
When the defendant was asked, he said he did not see the children, which made the co-landlord to declare that he was a suspect.
This prompted the deceased children’s father to report his brother to the police.
Upon his arrest and during investigation, the defendant made a confessional statement that he killed his two nieces inside the bush.
The police later went to the scene of the crime and found the remains of the children.
Oyewole however said the offences committed contravenes section 316 and 319 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun 2006.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Esther Idowu, ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Oba correctional centre, pending legal advice from state DPP.
She thereafter adjourned the case until October 16 for mention.
