Residents prevent police from arresting man who beat daughter to death

Facts have emerged on what led to the death of a 4-year old girl who was brought to Ondo State University Teaching Hospital, Akure Annexe by her mother last Wednesday night and later ferried away by the mother.

Operatives from the state Police Command were said to have been allegedly prevented by residents of Ikare-Akoko Community in Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State, from arresting the father of the deceased, Felix Babalola.

Babalola was alleged to have beaten his daughter, Testimony, to death for allegedly possessed of evil spirit.

The deceased was said to have passed out while being tortured by her father, but her mother quickly rushed her to the Ondo State University Teaching Hospital, Akure Annexe, where she was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty.

Having been told her daughter was brought in dead, Mrs. Babalola fled with the corpse of the child to avoid arrest.

But after a through investigation, operatives of the state police command were able to trace the parents of the deceased and discovered she was beaten to death by her father for allegedly possessing evil spirit.

Meanwhile, sources revealed that when policemen arrived the Ikare home of the deceased to arrest her parents, residents of the community resisted the police and prevented the suspects from being arrested.

According to a source, “It was surprising that the residents of the community would not allow the police arrest the suspects. The policemen actually came to the community, they saw and arrested the suspects but the residents of the area trooped out to stop the police from arresting them.

“lt almost led to a clash between the police and the residents of the area but it took the intervention of a traditional ruler in the community before the matter was resolved. The traditional ruler promised to bring the suspects to the police station next week.”

The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Undie Adie who refused to confirm the incident, assured that the suspects won’t escape arrest.

He said: “If you want to make arrest, you have to be professional otherwise you will generate another crisis.

“Sometimes you even miss your target, but I assure in the next few days, we will arrest them.”