The police said on Thursday that they had arrested the killers of Mrs Funke Olakunrin, the daughter of the leader of the pan – Yoruba socio- cultural organisation , Afenifere , Chief Reuben Fasoranti .
The suspects are Lawal Mazaje , 40 , from the Felele area of Kogi State ; Adamu Adamu , 50 , from Jada , Adamawa State ; Mohammed Usman , 26 , from Illela , Sokoto State ; and Auwal Abubakar , 25 , an indigene of Shinkafi , Zamfara State .
The police said investigation revealed that the killing was carried out by eight fully armed suspected robbers led by one Tambaya (other names unknown ), who is currently at large .
The force explained that efforts were being intensified to arrest the four other suspects currently on the run .
This is coming nine months after Olakunrin was attacked between Kajola and Ore on the Ondo- Ore Road in Ondo State on July 13 , 2019 , while travelling in a black Toyota Highlander SUV.
Other vehicles were also ambushed and several persons , including Olakunrin’ s driver , were kidnapped , but were later rescued.
Her murder stoked tension in the South – West and subsequently hastened the establishment of a regional security outfit codenamed,
Amotekun, by governors in the region .
The Afenifere spokesperson , Yinka Odumakin, had on April 7 , 2020 , said in a statement that four suspects had been arrested in connection with the murder .
However , his assertion was refuted by the Ondo State Police Command , which claimed that it was not aware of the development .
Confirming the arrest of the suspects in a statement on Thursday , the Force spokesman , Frank Mba , recalled that the Inspector – General of Police , Mohammed Adamu, had in the aftermath of the incident directed the Commissioner of Police , Federal Special Anti- Robbery Squad , Fimihan Adeoye , to coordinate the team of police special forces and seasoned investigators from the Force Criminal Investigation Department , the Intelligence Response Team and the Technical Intelligence Unit to investigate the murder .
Mba stated that after months of relentless efforts, the police team, on March 4 , 2020 , during a follow- up action on a high – profile armed robbery and kidnap for ransom case that occurred in Ogun State , arrested Abubakar , an accessory after the fact of the crime , along the Sagamu – Ore Expressway in Ondo State .
The statement said , “The arrest of Abubakar led to the arrest of two other members of the gang , Mohammed Usman and Lawal Mazaje , in Benin , Edo State, from whom a cache of ammunition was recovered , and one other , Adamu Adamu , in Akure , Ondo State .
“ Having established sufficient physical and forensic evidence linking the suspects to the killing of Mrs Funke Olakunrin, the investigators , determined to clear all doubts relating to their findings , on April 8 , 2020 , conducted an identification parade at the Federal SARS headquarters , Lagos , which led to the positive and physical identification of Adamu , Mazaje and Usman by a survivor of the earlier crime . ”
The police said the survivor gave a clear description of the roles each of the identified suspects played in the killing .
“ At this point , the suspects capitulated and voluntarily offered a no holds barred confession on how Mrs Olakunrin was killed , ” the force stated .
It added that the eight – man gang had their operational base and membership spread in the south -western part of the country and Edo State , noting that it was responsible for a series of high – profile armed robbery and kidnap operations in the region .
The statement said the gang also attacked , vandalised and stole components of critical national infrastructure such as electrical and telecommunications installations .
Meanwhile , the IG has declared the principal suspect , Tambaya , wanted for his role in the killing of Olakunrin.
“ Tambaya, a Nigerian , speaks Hausa , Fulfulde and pidgin English languages . He is fair in complexion and in his late 20 s , between the ages of 27 and 30 . His last known address is Isanlu, Kogi State . He has a visible scar from stitches on his forehead down to his nose and mouth, ” the police said .
