An Islamic cleric (Alfa), a pastor, and two others were caught with suspected human parts in the Ayegun area of Ibadan on Thursday.
The alfa, Sulaiman Hamed, 35, participated in the Fidau prayers for a dead man but later contracted two men to exhume the corpse because he needed the body parts for money ritual, said the Oyo State Police Command on Thursday.
According to Oyo Commissioner of Police Abiodun Odude, the two accomplices – Olapade Saheed, 32, and Olatunji Abiodun, 26 – were later caught with the deceased’s head and other body parts.
Hamed and Tope Akinyele, 45, who claimed to be the pastor of a church in Ojagbo, in the Oranyan area of Ibadan, were later arrested.
The alfa said he usually paid N2,500 for human flesh which he used in making money charm for his clients.
“Someone introduced Saheed and Abiodun to me. I gave them N2,500 to help me find human flesh. We all met at Ayegun junction, Ibadan. Around 10pm, I took them to a grave where a body that was brought from Warri, Delta State, was buried,” Hamed explained.
“I took part in the prayers for the deceased before he was buried. I left them (Saheed and Abiodun) there, but they refused to let me go. They said they wanted to sleep in my house that night. I got them a place close to my house.
“In the early hours of the second day, they came to me with a cellophane bag. I did not check what was inside, but I hanged it on the wall of my house. I was on my way to my office in Ile-Tuntun when I saw them in the midst of a crowd with a human head.
“I use human flesh to make money ritual for people and I pay N2,500 for the flesh. In this case, the charm was for myself. I did not ask them to cut off the head and it was not in my possession when the police came.”
But Saheed said Alfa paid them N1,500 to do the job and that he took them to the grave of the deceased.
“Alfa called us for a job at Ayegun. When we got there, he showed us a grave three houses away from his house. After we finished the job (of exhuming and cutting off body parts), he took what he needed from the remains of the dead man and asked us to dispose of the rest.
According to him, a local vigilance group stopped them on the way, and asked what was in the bag they carried.
“They beat us up after realising that there was a human head and other body parts in the bag. The police later came to arrest us,” he said.
The police boss said the suspects would be charged to court at the end of investigation.
Business6 days ago
Business6 days ago
Politics4 days ago
Trending Stories1 week ago
Latest1 week ago
Business3 days ago
Sports1 week ago