Few months after the frightening discovery of several decomposed bodies and dozens of human parts in a forest at Soka in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, a public school is being built on the site but nobody seems to know by who. OSEHE YE OKWUOFU reports that little progress has been made on the forensic investigation ordered by the state government.
IT was dubbed ‘Ibadan Forest of Horror’ by the media after the world woke up to the discovery of decomposing human bodies and rescue of some persons who had been kept in captivity for a long time. The discovery was greeted with rage and bewilderment, but shortly after, the noise died down and the city of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on whose outskirt the forest is located, has since put the saga behind.
Today, the ‘Forest of Horror’ is being turned to a public school by the government as a massive school thought to be one of several Federal Government Model Colleges being built across the country, is being constructed at a speedy rate on a large piece of the former forest.
But many still live with horror and the fear of Soka forest will continue to hunt the people for many years to come.
Residents of the area who bared their minds said the thought will continue to remain very fresh in their memory as they still find it difficult to forget the rude shock and nightmare they suffered as a result.
The victims , who were rescued from the forest and taken to the state hospital, Yemetu, Adeoyo, Ibadan, it was learnt, were given adequate medical attention and have since been re-united with their relatives.
A medical personnel at the hospital, who would not want her name mentioned in print, said a few of the victims suffered from mental disorder and have been referred to the psychiatric hospital for further medical care.
Meanwhile the Oyo state police command is yet to make any significant headway on the investigation to bring to book the culprits behind the killings at Soka forest.
Head of the investigation team, Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigative Department (SCID), Mr Dasuki, told The Nation that all efforts to track down the principal suspect, simply identified as Alhaji Gbadegesin, has not yielded fruit .
The police, he said, in its investigation, was also making effort to arrest owners of the abandoned factories being used by the suspects to commit the crime but none has shown up despite the intense search for them.
Mr Dasuki had referred to the team of forensic experts as a basis and beacon of hope for tracking down the culprits, but as at last week nothing has been made available to the police to assist in its effort to arrest the suspects.
The Chief Pathologist, Dr Eze Uwom, who led a team of scientists from the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan to the site where many people were believed to have been chained and killed by their captors, described the exercise as very disappointing and frustrating .
Since the team was engaged by the state government to conduct forensic analysis that would lead to the roots of the deaths of many Nigerians at the forest, nothing significant has been achieved.
The Chief Pathologist explained that his team has not gone beyond the initial stage of its analysis since the exercise has been stopped due to lack of support and logistics.
He said: “The only thing I have to tell you is that we are at the level of forensic recovery. We can only proceed at this stage if we have the needed logistics. So, we have not left the initial stage. We are still at the very initial stage. This investigation requires resources and manpower.
“But I have come to realise that the authorities have not shown the will to pursue this case. It is not because of lack of expertise that we cannot move beyond this stage. The problem is that until we turn the heat on those we put in the position of authority, we are not going to get anywhere. We do forensic with full support from the authorities with the appropriate materials and resources. We did the Dana Air crash in Lagos. I led the team and everyone was there working with all our clothes melting on our bodies.
“We got full support from the Lagos State Government and we are working closely with the authorities. Logistics was not a problem. Maybe it is because its Soka, the people involved were nobody. “
Speaking further on the Soka saga, Uwom said during the period his team was on site for data collection, he was not aware of any support from the authorities, and if there was, he said it was definitely not for his team.
“Well, as to your question regarding the report of the forensic analysis, the answer you are seeking is not available because this has not moved from the rudiment stage,” he stated.
While police said they are not relenting in their resolve to fish out the suspects behind the Soka killings, the faceless owners of the abandoned buildings have filed legal action against the government over the demolition of the buildings and construction of model secondary school on the plots of land situated at the notorious forest.
The Assistant Commissioner Police who confirmed the suit said a copy of the legal action was also served on him. He however expressed delight on the decision of the government to use the plots for school.
“At least, this will send away those criminals who hide under the situation of the area to commit crime, “ he said.
The legal action, he added will also open the way for owners of the structures to come forward, having gone into hiding since the discovery of the Soka killings.
The area where many lives were lost is now wearing a new look with economic activities springing up. When The Nation visited the site, construction workers and food sellers were seen working hard to see the school project completed. Building materials suppliers were also adding to the buzz on the site.
However, there are conflicting reports over the ownership of the said model secondary school. While the Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Oluyole Local Government, Mr Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, said the school was being constructed by the state government, The Nation learnt that it could be a Federal Government Girls Model college.
While speaking on the construction of new blocks of classrooms, the council boss hinted that the citing of the school at the location was strategic by the government.
The decision of the government, he added was aimed at bringing development to the area and make it a no hiding place for criminals who see the abandoned buildings and plots of land as a cover to commit heinous crime.
“We are thankful to the state government for donating the school to the local government, to bring more development to the area”, he said.
But the state Commissioner for Education, Professor Solomon Olaniyonu said he was not aware of the donation of the school to the local government.
“As the Commissioner in charge of Education, I am not aware of the model school being cited at Soka area” , he added.
When The Nation visited the Ibadan office of the Federal Ministry of Education, the officers could not give useful information as they said that their boss who could confirm the ownership of the school was not around.
When speaking on the model school, a resident of the area, Mr Adesokan Smith lauded the effort of the government for taking decisive step to clear the area of nefarious activities.
“This is something all of us living in Soka and Macmillan have been praying for over the years because this forest has been harbouring these criminals for over ten years now. There was a time the landlords wrote to the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Mukaila Aborode, during Alao-Akala’s regime complaining about these evil men and we called on the government to clear this area but nothing happened. Now that the government has brought this school, our people can now sleep with our two eyes closed”.
