James Sowole in Akure
Operatives of the Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Police were saturday prevented by some residents of Ikare Akoko Community in Akoko North-East Local Government from arresting one Felix Babalola who was alleged to have beaten his daughter to death.
Babalola allegedly beat his four-year-old daughter, Testimony to death on Wednesday on the allegation that the little girl possessed evil spirit.
After being unconscious as a result of the severe torture, the deceased was rushed to the Ondo State University Teaching Hospital Akure, by her mother, but Testimony was confirmed dead by the doctor.
The mother of the deceased was said to have fled the hospital premises with the corpse of the girl to an unknown destination. Since then, the police had been trailing her and her husband.
However, a source said yesterday that the police traced the suspects to Ikare town where they reportedly arrested them. But the residents of the area allegedly prevented them from taking them away.
The reason for preventing the suspects from being taken to police station by the community was still unknown.
The source said: “It was surprising that the residents of the community would not allow the police to arrest the suspects. The policemen actually came to the community, they saw and arrested the suspects. But the residents of the area trooped out to stop the police from arresting them.
“It almost led to a clash between the police and the residents of the area . It took the intervention of a traditional ruler in the community before the matter was resolved. The traditional ruler promised to bring the suspects to the police station next week.”
When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Undie Adie neither confirmed nor denied the development. But he expressed assurance that the suspects would be arrested.
He said: “If you want to make arrest, you have to be professional otherwise you will generate another crisis, sometimes you even miss your target but I assure in the next few days we will arrest them.”
