Three murder suspects die as gunmen attack correctional centre vehicle in Osun

BLESSING AKOROWOSI, Osogbo

Three murder suspects died on Wednesday while they were being conveyed to Ilesa Correctional centre.

It was gathered that some armed men attempted to rescue the suspects from their conveyance vehicle at Osunjela in Osun state. 

It was learnt that the conveyance vehicle developed fault and was being repaired by nearby mechanics when the unknown gunmen attacked them and the Police team by firing sporadically in a bid to hijack suspects. 

The State Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode, in a statement issued by Police spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola, said around 3:30pm, an Osun Police tactical team while taking some murder suspects to Ilesa correctional centre, after Osunjela River along Osogbo/Ilesa Road, the conveyance vehicle developed mechanical fault. 

“As the nearby mechanics were working on the vehicle, four armed men emerged from Osunjela Road on a Bajaj Motorcycle and attacked the Police team by firing sporadically in a bid to hijack suspects. 

“However, with the superior fire-power of the Police team, the hoodlums abandoned their motorcycle, three locally-made guns; one pump action, two cut to size barrel guns with 14 live cartridges. 

“In the process, three murder suspects sustained several degrees of injuries and later died at Asubiaro hospital in Osogbo and deposited in the same hospital morgue. The hoodlums fled into the bush with bullet wounds.

The commissioner of Police enjoined members of the public, especially people of Osunjela area to avail the Command with information about any person(s) with suspected bullet wound.

Meanwhile, the police in collaboration with the local security outfits at the wee hours on Thursday while combing the bush for possible arrest of the fleeing suspects recovered the dead body of one of the attackers in the bush with bullets wounds on his body.

“While searching his body, two live cartridges and a paper with incantation written in Yoruba Language with the names of the perpetrators were found in his pocket. 

“His corpse has been evacuated and deposited in the morgue”, Opalola stated.