The Osun State Police Command has arrested seven individuals suspected of ritualistic activities involving human body parts.
The arrests were announced during a press briefing at the command’s headquarters in Osogbo on Wednesday.
The suspects—Johnson Daniel, Adetunji Okunade, Olaniyan Azeez, Balogun Temitope Asimiyu, Oladapo Hammed, Kazeem Rasak, and Asaka Rauf—were paraded before journalists. According to Deputy Police Public Relations Officer Giwa-Alade Emmanuel, the arrests were made after a tip-off from a concerned citizen.
Emmanuel disclosed that Johnson Daniel, a mortuary attendant at Ipetu-Ijesa, was accused of selling human remains to native doctors. “The suspects were apprehended based on credible information that Daniel was selling parts of human corpses deposited at the mortuary,” he said.
Further investigations revealed that Daniel, along with his accomplice, Adetunji Okunade, was also selling water used to bathe corpses to local ritualists. During a search of the suspects’ homes, police recovered human bone fragments from the residences of Asaka Rauf and Oladapo Hammed. A female undergarment and a notebook with ritual instructions were found at the residence of Balogun Temitope Asimiyu.
“The suspects used these remains for various ritual purposes,” Emmanuel added. He confirmed that the individuals have been charged in court and assured the public that investigations are ongoing.
In a related development, five additional suspects—Taiwo Adekunle, Adebayo Opeyemi, Hasan Ibrahim, Oba Wasiu, and Olajide Oladapo—were also paraded for alleged armed robbery. Police recovered a Ford Jeep, a Hunter motorcycle, an empty shell cartridge, an iPhone, and a magnet during their arrest.
The authorities continue to investigate both cases.
