The 19-year-old Shodipe, who was paraded by the Oyo State Police Command last month, escaped from the Mokola Police State, where he was remanded, last week.

Various efforts are being made to re-arrest him, including the dispatch of crack detectives to the state by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), a marching order by Governor Seyi Makinde and a N500, 000 bounty for his arrest, among others.

Two traditional rulers in the council, the Oniroko of Iroko, Oba Olasunkanmi Abioye, and Alakinyele of Akinyele, Oba James Odeniran, said they were going spiritual to fish out the suspect from wherever he was hiding.

The monarchs disclosed that they had dispatched hunters, members of Soludero Hunters of Nigeria, members of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and Agbekoya to fish him out, vowing that there is no escape route for the infamous escapee.

The Oba Abioye said: “We are going to make some sacrifices. We believe that after the sacrifices, we will fish him out. With the power of God, he will use his legs to come out. God will accept the sacrifices and make it possible for us to fish him.

“Our hunters are scattered all over, searching for him. They are working assiduously now. We believe that if he has certain powers, sacrifices will destroy those powers.

“I felt embarrassed because we didn’t expect that the Oyo State Police Command can do such thing to the public, because we depended on them seriously. The commissioner of Police and his officers are working hard with our hunters to get this boy.

“So, when I heard that he escaped from the cell, it was very embarrassing to the traditional council in Ibadan land. We are not happy with it.

“I want to appeal to our governor not to take this with lightly.  He should come up with a strong decision with the federal government and Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu.

“He committed the first offence in Akinyele town, but he doesn’t stay there. He started committing the offence in Akinyele town before he went round the local government.”

On his part, Oba Odeniran added: “We are doing everything possible to fish him out. Our local hunters, Agbekoya, Soluderu and OPC are out there searching for him. We are also going traditional and performing some sacrifices to ensure we fish him out.”

He expressed bemused on how Shodipe easily escaped, saying: “Really, I could not believe it; it came as a surprise to me. When the last person was killed, Funmilayo Oladeji, also called Mama Toyin, people were condoling me.

“It was around that time that Barakat’s father came to me, saying his brother sighted the serial killer (Shodipe) that killed his daughter somewhere around Elewure here in Akinyele town. I thought it could not be true, believing there was no way he could have escaped.

“At that point, I sent two of my palace boys to go and confirm if truly he was sighted at Elewure. But alas, when they came back, they confirmed that he even drank tea at Elewure.

“As soon as he left Elewure, he passed through the road that leads to the house of the woman that was killed. People said he was the one that killed the last woman, but they were confused as to whether he was actually the one or not, because the Police had not declared him wanted. Some even challenged him, asking if he was the one that committed those acts and he answered in affirmative.

“By that time, the problem became who would bell the cat. And nobody came to tell me; I heard about it latter, if I were told, I would have ordered my hunters to get him arrested. What I did was that I gathered all the hunters, OPC and other people connected with security to search for him. They were there, but they could not find him.”