Police arrest man 20 over alleged rape of I7-years-old girl, murder inside cathedral

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old suspect, Tosin Kolade, for an alleged defilement and murder of a 17-year-old girl, Ifeoluwa Apanpa, inside the auditorium of a Pentecostal church at Olodo in Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State.

It was learnt that Ifeoluwa was on her way to the church when the suspected rapist under a false pretence sought her assistance in his own church that is close by.

The suspect who was paraded before newsmen at the State Police Headquarter, Eleyele, Ibadan on Tuesday confessed to the crime.

The suspect in an interview with journalists said his mother is a member of the sanitation department in the church, hence his access to the key of the church.

“I left where I was learning a vocational trade on a fateful day for the church under the pretence that I was sick.

“I left home after picking up the entrance key and left for church, noting that my mother is a worker in the church and a member of the sanitation department. I pretended to be arranging the chairs of the church when I saw Ifeoluwa passing by. I sought her assistance not knowing what was running through my mind and she obliged.

“I forcibly demanded her mobile phone and the password but she resisted. This resulted in a scuffle between us.

“She fell down and hit her head on the floor. This gave me the opportunity to rape before she gave up the ghost inside the church.”

Corroborating his narration in their report, the Commissioner of Police, Adewale Williams, stated on Friday, 17/09/2022 at about 2030hrs, the command through operatives attached to Iyana-Offa Divisional Police Headquarters was intimated about the sudden disappearance of Ifeoluwa, a 17-year-old female who according to the report left for church at about 1600hrs and was yet to return home.

“A search party was immediately organized to demystify all possible angles to the disappearance. While this was ongoing, a call was placed to the Parents of the deceased by an unknown caller stating clearly that the deceased had been abducted.

“Preliminary investigation reveals that the lifeless body of the deceased who was later found beside a Bible School at Olodo Area, with bloody genitalia, coupled with signs of struggling might have been manhandled before her eventual untimely death.

“In addition to the above, the command has in its custody through diligent technological driven intelligence and investigation one Kolade Tosin ‘m’ 20yrs who has voluntarily confessed to committing the sinister action.

“Investigation continues as the case is closely monitored by the State Criminal Investigation Department with the assurances of immediate updates as soon as we have them at our disposal.”