James Sowole in Akure
Four students of the Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, were among the 23 suspects paraded wednesday by the police command, Ondo State for various offences as rape, cultism, kidnapping and stealing.
The suspects were paraded at the police command headquarters on Igbatoro Road, Akure, the dad Tate capital.
Speaking with journalists, the Commissioner of Police for the Ondo State Command, Mr. Hilda Ibuforo-Harrison, the students along with one other still at large lured an 18-year-old History/English student of the same school and gang raped her.
The arrested students are Ajibola Timilehin, Olagbaju Tobi, Adetuyi Olakunle, Adeyemi Adebisi and Eric Wage.
The commissioner said the as the victim was being raped by the suspects, one of them, Olakunle recorded their heinous crime with a phone and later abandoned the girl to go with a threat that they shall use the charms on her if she ever reveals the incident to anyone.
Harrison said the case was reported at to the school authority saying that the phone and the charm used in perpetrating the act were recovered.
While stating that the victims was visited at Ile-Ife where she is receiving treatment, the commissioner said the statements of both victims and the suspects were recorded.
The commissioner said the suspected cultists were arrested in some locations within Akure following a tip-off.
She said the suspects on interrogation confessed to be members of different cult groups.
Harrison said some of the suspected cultists had also been alleged to have involved in recent murder of three young men and other violent crimes in the state.
The commissioner said the command had commenced investigation into the allegation that some policemen were members of cult groups.
She said the force would deal with any of its men found to be involved in the act.
She said the suspects would be arraigned in court very soon.
