The Ogun State Police Command says it discovered the body of John Soyinka, a 12-year-old point-of-sale (POS) attendant, in a bush at Kotogbo community in Asero Estate, Abeokuta, the state’s capital.
Omolola Odutola, the police spokesperson in Ogun, said Soyinka was declared missing a week ago.
Speaking with journalists on Wednesday, Odutola said the mutilated body of Soyinka was found on Monday, noting that his eyes were plucked out and wrists cut off.
She said the body had been released to the family for burial, adding that an investigation had been initiated into the “homicidal” case to unravel the perpetrators of the crime.
Speaking about the incident, an eyewitness said the boy disappeared after he went to see a customer who had done a transaction at the POS shop where he was an assistant.
“His mother does menial jobs like helping people to sweep. What we heard was that last week Thursday, he informed people he wanted to check on a customer who had done a PoS transaction, apparently maybe there was something to sort out about the transaction, but the boy never came back,” the witness said.
“The boy and his mother lived in the Olasunkanmi community and so the community development association reported the matter to the divisional police officer at Obantoko station.
“The DPO 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.”
