The corpse of a missing 12-year-old John Soyinka has been found at Kotogbo community inside Asero Estate, Odeda Local Government Area of Abeokuta, the state capital with his eyes removed and his wrists also cut off.
The victim was declared missing about a week ago and the incident was reported at Obantoko Police Station, Abeokuta.
It was alleged that the young schoolboy was missing after trying to check on a customer who operated a Point Of Sales (PoS) shop. But the deceased, who normally assisted in the shop never came back on that occasion.
A source who did not want his name mentioned said, “I know the boy very well, he is about 12 years old and he lived alone with his mother who I guessed is no longer with her husband. His mother is into menial jobs like helping people to sweep and the rest.
“The boy too was going to school, but I also usually see him at a business centre where they do POS operations and barbing, I think he must be assisting them there. What we heard was that last week Thursday, he said he wanted to check on a customer who did POS transactions, apparently, maybe there was something to sort out about the transaction, but the boy never came back.
“The boy and his mother lived at the Olasunkanmi community and so the Community Development Association reported the matter to the District Police Officer at Obantoko Station.
“The Divisional Police Officer informed the police at Adigbe and Lafenwa but it was the boy’s corpse that was seen at Kotogbo community just beside Olasunkanmi on Monday.
“The two communities are inside Asero Estate, Abeokuta. It is suspected to be a case of ritual killing because the boy’s eyes were removed while his wrists were also cut off. It is an incident that has really thrown all the residents into mourning.”
Police authorities in the state confirmed the incident on Wednesday and described the development as pathetic.
“The case is so pathetic that the DPO vigorously searched for this boy only to find his mutilated body inside the bush. The body has been released to the family for burial,” the spokesperson of the Ogun State Police Command Omolola Odutola said.
