Police arrest Alfa for killing and sharing friend’s corpse....SEE PHOTO

Firstclass newsline gathered that a Lagos State Magistrate's Court
sitting in Ebute-Meta has remanded an Islamic cleric, Fatai Afobaje,
akaAlfa, in prison for allegedly killing his friend, Rafiu Sulaimon,
and sharing his body parts.
The magistrate, A. O. Komolafe, said Afobaje should be remanded
pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
Firstclass newsline crew had exclusively reported on February 20,
2015, that the suspect met the victim in a commercial bus a few years
back after the latter did him a favour of paying his transport fare.
Afobaje was alleged to have cast a spell on the Kwara State indigene,
making Sulaimon to always turn over his monthly salary to him.
Firstclass newsline reported that on the fateful Friday in February,
the suspect called the victim in the night, saying he wanted to see
him for an urgent meeting.
However, he was alleged to have connived with some of the security
guards on his street, who stopped the 44-year-old on his way to
Afobaje's house and hit him with a charm. He was later killed by the
men.
It was reported that Afobaje later emerged from his house and led the
sharing of his friend's body parts.
He was arrested a few days later when the police ransacked his
residence and found some burnt fingers of the victim in a clay pot.
His body was later found in a swamp, with the head and other parts of
the body gone.
The matter was later transferred from the Morogbo Police Division to
the Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba.
It was learnt that a security guard, identified as Tanko, who was
implicated by the suspect, was later absolved and released.
Detectives at the DCI, in the course of investigations, were said to
have recovered the head of the victim in the place where it was
buried.
The police, in a remand application brought before the magistrate
court on Tuesday, said Afobaje confessed to the crime.
He was also said to have been arrested with exhibits and identified by
witnesses.
The police added that there was a need for further investigation as
other accomplices were still at large.
Afobaje was arraigned on two counts of murder.
The charges read, "That you, Fatai Afobaje and others now at large on
February 13, 2015, at about 1am at C32, Oko Agbonla, Irete Village,
Magbon, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire among
yourselves to commit felony to wit: murder.
"That you, and others now at large, did unlawfully kill one Rafiu
Sulaimon, aged 44 years, by cutting off his head and hands with a
knife."
The offence was said to be punishable under sections 231 and 221 of
the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.
His plea was not taken for the charges, just as no member of his
family was in court.
The police prosecutor, ASP Elizabeth Ekuma, applied for the remand of
the defendant in prison, pending legal advice.
She said, "The matter before the court involves murder and we have an
application for the remand of the defendant in prison."
The defence counsel, F. S. Oladele, however, asked the court to look
into the case.
He cited Section 264 of the Administration of Criminal Justice, Law of
Lagos State, which he said empowered the court to go into the
circumstances that surrounded the arraignment.
But the magistrate shunned the defence counsel's application.
He said, "Section 264 is not verbose; it is very clear. The defendant
is ordered to be remanded in prison."
The matter was adjourned till June 22, 2015.
Firstclassnewsline.net