A 12-year-old boy, John Soyinka, who was declared missing, has been found dead at Kotogbo community inside Asero Estate, Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital.
Soyinka was found dead in the early hours of Monday, November 20, 2023, with his eyes removed while his wrists were also said to have been cut off.
Soyinka was declared missing about a week ago and the incident was reported at the Obantoko Police Station, Abeokuta.
According to a resident of the area who pleaded anonymity, the young school boy vanished into the thin air after going to check on a customer who did POS transactions in a shop where the deceased usually assisted them but never came back.
The source’s words: “I know the boy very well, he is about 12 years old and he lived alone with his mother whom 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 saw 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 Olasunkanmi community and so the Community Development Association reported the matter to the District 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. It’s an incident that has really thrown all the residents into mourning.”
Confirming the incident, Ogun Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Omolola Odutola described the incident as pathetic, revealing that it was his mutilated body that was found days later inside the bush.