The mutilated body of a missing 12-year-old boy, John Soyinka, was on Monday found in a bush at Kotogbo community in Asero Estate, Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

The deceased’s eyes were plucked out, and his wrists cut off, according to the Ogun State Police Command.

Soyinka was declared missing a week ago and the matter was reported at the Obantoko Police Station in Abeokuta.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Osun Command, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the discovery of the dead body to newsmen on Wednesday in Abeokuta.

Odutola said that the gruesome murder of Soyinka had changed the case to a homicide.

She said that the body had been released to the family for burial, adding that investigation was ongoing to unravel perpetrators of the crime

A resident of the area, who pleaded anonymity, told newsmen that the boy disappeared after he went to see a customer who had done a transaction at a POS shop where the deceased assisted.

“I know the boy very well. He is about 12-years-old and lived with his mother who I guess is no longer with her husband.

“His mother does menial jobs like helping people to sweep.

” What we heard was that, last Thursday, he said he wanted to check on a customer who did POS transactions, apparently maybe there was something to sort out about the transaction, but the boy never came back.

“The boy and his mother lived at Olasunkanmi community and so the Community Development Association reported the matter to the Divisional Police Officer at Obantoko Station.

“The DPO informed the police at Adigbe and Lafenwa, but it was the boy’s corpse that was seen at Kotogbo community, just beside Olasunkanmi on Monday.

“The two communities are inside Asero Estate, Abeokuta. It is suspected to be a case of ritual killing because the boy’s eyes were removed while his wrists were also cut off,” he said.(NAN)