IPERU, Nigeria — A shocking act of violence rocked the Iperu community in Remo North Local Government Area of Ogun State on Friday, July 21, 2023, as a man identified as David Shodola beheaded an 84-year-old resident, Alfred Opadipe.
Shodola, 32, also ended up dead after violently resisting arrest and attacking responding police officers with a machete.
Omotola Odutola, the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, confirmed the incidents to journalists in Abeokuta on Friday, July 21, 2023.
He disclosed that police received a tip from an unnamed informant about the gruesome beheading, leading to their rapid response.
“The Divisional Police Officer for Isara, Bankole Eluyeru, led a team of officers to the scene upon receiving the call,” Odutola said. However, their attempt to apprehend Shodola was met with violent resistance.
The PPRO further detailed, “The suspect fiercely resisted arrest, using the machete on the Divisional Police Officer and his men.” Ultimately, the police team succeeded in neutralizing Shodola in self-defense.
Odutola dismissed initial rumors that Shodola was mentally ill, stating, “From the intelligence gathered by the police, there was no report of the suspect being mentally challenged.”
The shocking crime has prompted fear and unease within the Iperu community.
Local authorities have called for calm, assuring residents that the situation is under control and an investigation into the incident is underway.
Meanwhile, condolences have been extended to the family of the elderly victim as the community grapples with this tragic incident.
Ogun Government’s Official Website Suffers Cyber Attack
In an apparent cyber attack, the Ogun State Government’s website was hacked on Wednesday, July 12, 2023.
At around 10:44 am local time, the homepage of the website, www.ogunstate.gov.ng, was displaying a defiant message: “Hacked by Aliester Crowley. Update your security. Greetings from Maldives.”
The identity of the hacker and their exact motivations remain unknown at this point, but the message suggests the attacker may be using the pseudonym “Aliester Crowley” and operating from the Maldives.
The disruption has raised serious questions about the security of the state’s digital infrastructure.
The authorities have yet to determine the extent of the breach or whether sensitive data might have been compromised.
When asked about the situation, the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, admitted that he was not aware of the incident.
However, he affirmed that necessary steps would be taken promptly to address the issue.
“I am not aware but I will inform the ICT head,” Talabi told our correspondent. This indicates that external observers discovered the incident before the internal team was alerted.
The incident underscores cyberattacks’ increasing threat to government bodies and the importance of robust digital security systems.
It remains to be seen how quickly the Ogun State Government can restore its website and what measures will be put in place to prevent such incidents.
