Sophia Michaels
The Ogun Police Command has apprehended a seven-man gang suspected to specialize in trafficking human body parts for money rituals.
The Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, disclosed that a human heart and two kegs filled with human body parts were parts of exhibits recovered from the suspects.
The men arrested on Thursday were identified by the police as Moses Abidemi, Oluwo Monday, Prophet Peter Akiwunmi Ifatosin, Jamiu Yusuf, Sheriff Agbai, and Osojieahen Alioneitoura.
Alamutu explained that the Divisional Police Office in Onipanu, received a report of a missing lady, Ms Sulaiimon Adijat, on January 9 who was invited out on a date by one Adebayo Azeez.
“Despite frantic efforts to locate her whereabouts, the mobile phone has been switched off since the day she was reported missing. Consequently, the anti-kidnapping unit of the command was drafted to unravel the mystery behind her disappearance, and a technical-based investigation was embarked on,” the CP said.
According to him, the investigation revealed that the suspects were involved in a money ritual known as ‘Oshole’ to produce N200m within seven days.
“Oluwo Monday charged the duo of Agbai and Alioneitouria N800,000 to prepare the materials for the ritual money. Oluwo Monday, in furtherance of his criminal intention, later contacted one Peter, who was not new in the trade of human parts, to source for a lady between the ages of 18 and 20 years.”
The CP said Peter was to deliver the lady’s mutilated body parts, specifically the head, two breasts, vagina, and two wrists that would be used for the alleged ritual.
“However, on January 10, Sheriff and Osojieahen collected the ritual money from Oluwo and travelled back to their location in Edo State. Trouble started when Osojieahen used the ritual element as directed by Oluwo, and complained bitterly that it failed to yield the expected sum of N200m in seven days.
“A search was conducted in the shrine of Moses on February 3 and 10, where female handbags and two cement sacks containing human bones were recovered,” Alamutu added.
The CP noted that all the suspects confessed to the alleged crime and their roles, adding that an investigation was ongoing to arrest other fleeing suspects.
