A car wash attendant identified as Ismaila Raji has confessed to killing seven persons, including pupils of Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan whose bodies he dried with chemicals.

Raji was arrested by a mob on April 20 at Olorunsogo while trying to dispose the body of his latest victim, Rasaki Musibau, who he allegedly strangled inside the deceased’s home.

According to sources, Raji had been arrested twice for being in possession of human skeleton at Second Gate, University of Ibadan and Benjamin in Eleyele Road respectively.

He was said to have confessed while being beaten by the mob that a popular businessman in Ibadan contracted him and his accomplices – Sunday, Kella, Awilo, Omo Ola, ID Noble – adding that they usually ambushed the pupils.

Raji, who claimed he killed Musibau, a truck mechanic in self-defence, stated that it was the deceased who attempted to strangle him first.

He said: “I am from Molete Bode in Ibadan. I was arrested at Olorunsogo for killing someone.

“The man is Rasaki Musibau, he begged me to stay at his place when I was at Olorunsogo. I did not want to stay but he forced me and then he put on his television.

“Then, I started seeing some strange guests in the house and I was terrified.

“Later, the man tried to strangle me but I overpowered him and killed him with a towel. I tied the towel round his neck and strangled him.

“After killing him, I sprayed a chemical on his body so that it will not smell and will decay fast.

“I did not want people to suspect anything. I took the corpse to a dumpsite, beside a waste disposal truck at Olorunsogo and bribed the driver with N300,000.

“I stopped sleeping at Olorunsogo and was sleeping in a church at Aremo. I wanted to take the skeleton to Agodi prison but it didn’t decay fast.

“I have killed seven other people so far and they are mostly students of Lagelu Grammar School. I was offered N500,000 by a bakery owner to be killing people.

“My colleagues and I usually sat around the school’s premises. That is where we usually capture our victims. They are Sunday, Kella, Awilo, Omo Ola, ID, Noble and they are barbers at Aremo Koloko.”

The suspect was said to have been handed over to the police after the mob gave him severe beating.

Contacted, spokesman for Oyo Police Command Lawrence Fadeyi confirmed the incident but said he was yet to be given details.

“Yes, we are aware of the incident but I do not have details now because I have been in a meeting since morning. I will get the details and then get back to you,” he said.

•Text (excluding headline) courtesy of The Nation.

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