The police in Oyo State yesterday continued their clampdown of the operators of an illegal detention centre in the state capital where 23 people mostly teenagers were rescued at the weekend.
The police acting on a tip off, had on Friday swooped on the illegal detention centre managed by a self-professed Muslim cleric, AbdulGaniyu Imoniyi.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Bisi Okuwobi told THISDAY on telephone yesterday evening that detectives from the command have arrested additional six of the suspects to bring the total number of the operators of the illegal detention camp to 19.
The suspects include subordinates of the illegal school operator as well as parents of the victims who were said to have conspired with the head of the centre while the whole incident lasted.
The police spokesperson disclosed that nine of the victims of the centre who are teenagers have been referred to the Social Welfare Department in the state secretariat for further upkeep while the adults among them have been released to their parents.
Okuwobi said the prime suspect may be charged for murder following an unconfirmed allegation that one or two of the �students� were tortured to death and buried without the knowledge of the law enforcement agents.
Twenty-three persons were on Friday rescued by the officers from the state command following a tip off on the illegal activities going on at the Ile-tuntun, Odinjo area where the said Islamic Training School was located.
Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of the state command, Udom Ekpoudom had told reporters that the victims aged between seven and 35 were chained and tortured under the guise of training them.
The Police Chief said apart from torturing the victims some of who die in the process and are buried within the premises, the girls among them were turned to sex machines. But Imoniyi debunked claims that the �students� were tortured or molested saying they were brought to him by their parents to train in the Islamic injunction.
Looking pale and emaciated with rashes over their bodies, the victims had told reporters during their parade by the AIG that they were fed with excreta by the operator of the illegal training school.
Feb192008