12th August, 2021
By Muhaimin Olowoporoku
The Ogun State Police command has said Alhaji Mushafau Bakare, Chief Imam of Atiba community in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State who was found dead in his car was not murdered.
The cleric was reported kidnapped by unidentified gunmen before his lifeless body was found in his car.
Alhaji Bakare was declared missing on Tuesday while on his way to an outing within Ijebu-Ode.
Family and friends were unable to reach him also as calls to his mobile phone rang out for hours.
His lifeless body was found inside his newly acquired Toyota Highlander in the early hours of Thursday around the Ikangba area in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The cleric was believed to have been kidnapped and killed.
However, Abimbola Oyeyemi, the Ogun State police spokesman, said the cleric was neither kidnapped nor killed as speculated.
The police spokesperson revealed that on Wednesday, police from the Obalende division, while on patrol, saw a Highlander jeep packed by the roadside, but they went on their own.
He said further, while the officers were coming back, the car remained at the same spot which made the officers to check the vehicle.
They discovered that the man was dead in the car.
The police spokesperson said that there was no sign of violence in his body at all.
“We learnt that the man was hypertensive. It is possible that he had a crisis as a result of his health challenges and there was no one to help him at that time.
Oyeyemi noted that the body was taken to the hospital and an autopsy had been conducted. The result of the autopsy is still being awaited.
He said the cleric was not abducted or murdered.
“There was no sign of violence on his body at all. It appears his blood pressure rose while on the road and there was no one to help,” Oyeyemi said.
The chief Imam has also been buried according to Islamic rites, the police spokesperson said.