In December 2023 authorities in Osun State arrested three suspects accused of a remarkable and sinister criminal act: exhuming corpses from graves and removing body parts for ritualistic purposes.
Let the facts speak for themselves. Even though their alleged unscrupulous behavior – they confessed that they wanted to sell the body parts for money-making rituals – does not include murder it is a revolting act based on superstition, greed, and a criminal mind.
Osun State is located in located in the South West geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Federal Republic of Nigeria is divided into six geopolitical zones commonly called zones.
Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones
Osun State is one of Nigeria’s smallest states measured in land area. The state ranks 28th of 36 states – in order of their surface areas – with a total land area of 9,252 km2 (3,572 sq.ml).
For the official website of the Osun State government: click here
Nigeria: 3 exhume corpses for rituals in Osun State
Published: December 12, 2023 By: Según Ojo – The Star, Nigeria
The operatives of the Osun State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun, have arrested no fewer than three suspects for allegedly exhuming corpses from graves and removing body parts for rituals in the state.
The Amotekun spokesperson, Adeniyi Brown, made the disclosure in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on Tuesday, December 12, 2023.
He disclosed that the suspects – an automobile mechanic, 43; a driver, 56; and a native doctor – were all arrested in the Iwo area of the state.
Brown said the suspects were apprehended following intelligence received by the Corps about their despicable acts.
He noted that when interrogated, the suspects made confessional statements that they exhumed corpses from graves and sold the body parts for money-making rituals.
He said the Amotekun Commander in the state, Brig.-Gen. Bashir Adewinmbi (rtd), had directed that the suspects should be transferred to the police for further investigation and prosecution.
Brown quoted Adewinmbi as appealing to residents of Osun State to be more security conscious and report any suspicious activity in their environment to security agencies.
”When you see something, please always say something,” Adewinmbi said.
Reportedly – see the article presented below – the two accused men committed a gruesome ritualistic murder. Hence it is not clear why the state prosecutor only accused them of criminal conspiracy, causing grievous hurt and attempting to commit culpable homicide. Be it as it may, the reported ritualistic act is repulsive and shows once more that superstition, ritualistic acts and criminal behavior also exist in Bauchi State, located in the North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The Federal Republic of Nigeria is divided into six geopolitical zones commonly called zones.
Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones
Of Nigeria’s 36 states, Bauchi State is the fifth largest in area with a total land area of 49,119 km2 (18,965 sq mi) representing slightly more than 5% of Nigeria’s total land mass. Bauchi is Nigeria’s seventh most populous state with an estimated population of between 7 and 8 million in 2023 composed of not less than 55 tribal groups which include Fulani, Gerawa, Sayawa, Jarawa, Kirfawa, Turawa, Bolewa, Karekare, Kanuri, Fa’awa, Butawa, Warjawa, Zulawa, Boyawa, MBadawa. The Fulani (Peiulh in French) are the main ethnic group.
The vast majority of the population, some 85%, are Muslim with smaller Christian (6%) and traditionalist minorities 9%). However, like in a number of other SSA countries remnants of traditional beliefs (and superstition) linger in the religious – muslim and christian – population.
Official website of Bauchi State Government: click here
Notable people from Bauchi State include Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (1912 – 15 January 1966), who was Nigeria’s first and only prime minister upon independence in 1960. He was murdered in a military coup in January 1966 under circumstances which have never been become clear. His body was dumped at a roadside near Lagos. He was buried in Bauchi.
Warning: The following articles contain graphic details which may upset readers (webmaster FVDK).
2 men bag 35 years imprisonment for attempted ritual use of 6-year-old girl’s private parts
2 men bag 35 years imprisonment for attempted ritual use of 6 year old girl’s private parts
The defendants were arraigned on a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, causing grievous hurt and attempting to commit culpable homicide.
Published: December 12, 2023 By: News Agency of Nigeria – Pulse, Nigeria
Bauchi State High Court 1 has sentenced two persons, Adamu Abdulra’uf and Abdulkadir Wada to 35 years’ imprisonment each for causing grievous hurt and attempting to commit culpable homicide on a six-year-old girl.
Justice Rabi Umar convicted and sentenced Abdulra’uf, 20 years old, and Wada, 21 years old, after they pleaded guilty to the crime. Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Sabiu Gumba, told the court that the two defendants Abdulrauf and Wada were arraigned on August 17, 2021 on a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, causing grievous hurt and attempting to commit culpable homicide.
The prosecution counsel called four witnesses including the father of the victim, while the defendants testified for themselves but didn’t call additional witnesses. Gumba tendered the two knives used in committing the crime, a bottle containing the private part of the girl and a powder.
The News Agency Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendants were alleged to have on December 30, 2020, at Jama’are Local Government Area of the state, strangled one Hauwa’u Ya’u. Ya’u, who was six years old at the time, fainted before they used knives to cut off her private part for ritual purposes.
Court Sentences Two Men to 70 Years For Removing 6-year-old Girl’s Genitals For Money Ritual in Bauchi (Photo)
Young ritualists
Published: December 12, 2023 By: Thandiubani – Tori, Nigeria
Justice Rabi Umar convicted and sentenced Abdulra’uf, 20, and Wada, 21, to 35 years each after they pleaded guilty to the crime.
Two young teenagers have been sentenced to 70 years in prison for removing a 6-year-old girl’s genitals for money ritual. They were sentenced by a Bauchi State High Court 1.
The ritualists have been identified as Adamu Abdulra’uf and Abdulkadir Wada. They were sentence to 35 years each.
The court had earlier heard how the defendants, on December 30, 2020, at Jama’are Local Government Area of the state, strangled one Hauwa’u Ya’u. Ya’u, who was six years old at the time, fainted before they used knives to cut off her private part for ritual purposes.
Justice Rabi Umar convicted and sentenced Abdulra’uf, 20, and Wada, 21, to 35 years each after they pleaded guilty to the crime. Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr Sabiu Gumba, told the court that the two defendants, Abdulrauf and Wada, were arraigned on August 17, 2021 on a three-count of criminal conspiracy, causing grievous hurt and attempting to commit culpable homicide.
The prosecution counsel called four witnesses including the father of the victim, while the defendants testified for themselves but didn’t call additional witnesses.
Gumba tendered the two knives used in committing the crime, a bottle containing the private part of the girl and a powder.
Niger State is no exception to the general observation that ritualistic murders are being committed in each of Nigeria’s 36 states (and the Federal Capital Territory). Though I certainly have not covered all recently reported and suspected ritual murder cases in Niger state, which is located in the North central Region of Nigeria, I did report a few since the start of this site in 2018. See my postings of September 15, 2019, August 30, 2022, and February 21, 2023.
Niger State is Nigeria’s largest state covering a total area of 76,363 km2 (29,484 sq mi), approximately 9% of the total land area. The state capital is Minna, major cities include Bida, Kontagora, Suleja, and Wawa. Niger State’s total population is an estimated 7 million people and composed of numerous indigenous tribes.
The state’s population is mainly muslim, hence Niger State is one of Nigeria’s states where the Sharia law was adopted – since May 4, 2000. The state is also known as The Power State because of its economic potential and abundant natural resources including coal, crude oil, gold, iron ore, phosphate, tin, and uranium.
A Niger State High Court sentenced a convicted ritual murderer, Tunde Tayo, to death by hanging. He was convicted to have murdered for ritual purposes Abdullahi Janiya Yahaya, in Minna in 2019.
Though I strongly support the prosecution of suspected ritual murderers and the rule of law, I have my doubt about the effectiveness of the capital punishment as a deterrent. The phenomenon of ritualistic murders is too complicated to eradicate by only harsh punishments. (webmaster FVDK)
Niger Court Sentences Man To Death By Hanging for ritual murder
Published: January 11, 2024 By: Abu Nmodu – Leadership, Nigeria
A Niger State High Court has convicted and sentenced one Tunde Tayo to death by hanging for the murder of Abdullahi Janiya Yahaya in Maitumbi area of Minna. He was accused of conniving with his friend now at large to kill Yahaya for ritual purpose by cutting his head and burying his body in a shallow grave around Maitumbi area of Minna in 2019. The judge, Justice Mohammed Mohammed handed down the sentence yesterday in a judgement delivered for over two hours.
After reviewing the case and submissions of the parties involved, Justice Mohammed held that the circumstantial evidence against the accused by the prosecutor was strong, cogent and direct. The judge reviewed that the convict was arraigned on two count charges of robbery and culpable homicide under sections 298 and 221 of the penal code.
The judge, reviewed that the convict admitted in his statement to the police that he owns the uncompleted building, that the body was buried adding that, “although he denied killing the deceased, circumstantial evidence established that he was last seen with the deceased and that he committed the crime.”
The judge said, “On the charge of robbery on section 298 of penal code, you are sentenced to life imprisonment. On the second count charges of culpable homicide under section 221 of the penal code law, you, Tunde Tayo is hereby convicted and sentenced to death by hanging until you die. May Almighty God have mercy on your soul”.
On December 31, January 1, January 2 and January 3 I paid attention to the scourge of ritual murders in Ogun State. The present posting is on the same topic and focuses on the authorities’ intention to tackle this evil.
Ogun State is by far not the only Nigerian state where ritual murders are committed and organ harvesting takes place. See yesterday’s posting. It is not possible to include on the present site all reported or suspected cases of ritualistic killings in Nigeria, locally called ‘money rituals’. There are just too many. In the past year I have started making an inventory by state and if time and space allow I will report here on the incidence of these often gruesome crimes in each of the 36 Nigerian states.
Nigeria is Africa’s giant. The country can boast of the continent’s biggest economy and no other country has a population which even approaches that of Nigeria. Africa’s number 2, population-wise, is Ethiopia with an estimated population of 128 million, slightly more than half of the size of the Nigerian population, an estimated 226 million (2023 data).
Unfortunately, Nigeria also is the country where presumably the incidence of ritual killings is the highest in Africa. (webmaster FVDK)
Nigeria: Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, speaks on the challenges of policing in the state and how the command is tackling ritual killing
Published: January 9, 2024 By: Dare Olawin and Johnson Idowu – Punch, Nigeria
Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu
Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, speaks on the challenges of policing in the state and how the command is tackling insecurity in this interview with Dare Olawin and Johnson Idowu
It has been a challenging period but the challenges are not peculiar to Ogun State alone, generally, there is insecurity across the country. From the available records I met when I came on board, Ogun State is still faring better compared to what is portrayed in some sections of the media. We are all aware of the insecurity in the country and Ogun State cannot exist in isolation, it is part of the country.
The major security issues facing Ogun State are kidnapping, cultism, and ritual killings but be it as it may, we are faring better compared to what was applicable in the past.
(….)
There are reported cases of ritual killings in some parts of the state. How do you intend to tackle it?
The issue of ritual killing has started rearing its ugly face again in Ogun. We have recorded two ugly incidences in recent times and ritual by the nature of the trade, is never something that is done in the open. Oftentimes, it is after they have perfected the act that we get to know except in some rare cases when they are in the preparatory stage.
Most times, they would have carried out their vicious act before we got to know but that also requires more sensitisation to let people know that they cannot make money from it. Nobody can make money out of ritual killings, it is just a myth. The so-called herbalists often time tell those who want to do ritual to bring human heads in a bid to discharge them. But someone who is bent on doing the ritual will go to any length even if it involves chopping off their mother’s head.
At the end of the day, it does not work. They just go about wasting people’s lives. So, on the issue of ritual killings, we are going to do more sensitisation so that people will get to understand that it is just a myth. The only way to make money is through hard work.
Generally, Ogun State is calm except for the unfortunate incident that we had recently concerning the murder of the Director of Finance in November.
Have you been able to make any arrests concerning the murder of the Ogun State Director of Finance?
I just mentioned it as part of the challenges we are facing but I wouldn’t want to talk about it because it is an ongoing investigation and we can not divulge our effort to the public but I can assure the public that investigation is ongoing and we will definitely bring the perpetrators to justice.
Are you assuring the people of Ogun State that there will be no repeat of such incidents?
Crime will continue to happen. It is only in Utopia that they have a perfect state. There will always be crime but our own responsibility is to put in deterrent measures but where the people are so bold to commit crime, our duty is to get them apprehended. The deployment you would have observed around basically are deterring in nature but if someone thinks they can try our will by coming out to commit any crime, we will get them.
The following article contains a cry for justice, a cry for freedom from fear, and a plea for an end to the cruel practices of ritualistic murders and associated organ harvesting that kill people in Nigeria on a daily basis. The author of the original article, Fatima Abba Sanda, works at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri, in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State.
‘The government of president Tinubu must act!’ (webmaster FVDK)
Govt Must Act Against Ritual Killings, Organ Harvesting
The end-of-year period in Nigeria is a time everyone looks forward to as a holiday; it is also one of the most dangerous times as…
Publsihed: January 7, 2024 By: Fatima Abba Sanda – Daily Trust, Nigeria
The end-of-year period in Nigeria is a time everyone looks forward to as a holiday; it is also one of the most dangerous times as disturbing activities in the forms of ritual killings and human organ harvesting become the biggest issues Nigerians have to face. Every day numerous lives are lost to these terrible circumstances, and it saddens the heart to know that there is little or nothing done to salvage this issue.
Travellers are always threatened as our highways are death traps. If it is not armed robbers, it is terrorists, and if it is not terrorists, it is kidnappers and ritualists. Even with the presence of police at checkpoints on these highways, these occurrences have sadly become the news headlines almost every day.
This is a time when consistently if you check the news it’s always about corpses found in one ditch or the other, or it is corpses missing in the mortuary. You can’t help but wonder where it all went wrong and what the authorities are doing to curb this menace.
Nigeria has been plagued with this devilish and unholy act of people or groups of people who kidnap and slaughter human beings in cold blood, and to top it all on this barbaric behavior, they still go ahead and dissect these persons like animals.
Sometimes you wonder if these people don’t have an ounce of sympathy or humanity. The urge to get rich quickly in Nigeria has left some of its youths to go into such a criminal lifestyle and kidnapping people just for the sole purpose of harvesting their internal and genital organs just to sell to the highest bidder or for ritual.
Recently, there was a video circulating on the internet of some men killing and slaughtering people like animals and removing their organs. The lack of fear and the pride they had in displaying those barbaric acts while chanting songs praising each other was so disturbing. You can only wonder how these people are never traced and given the full wrath of the law. In this video, it was clearly shown how almost four fully grown adults were cut.
Enough is enough!
Fatima Abba Sanda wrote from the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri, Borno State
As mentioned in my January 4 posting I estimate that no state in Nigeria is spared the evil of ritualistic killings – or ‘money rituals’ as these heinous practices are commonly referred to in Africa’s most populated country.
The article presented below very well illustrates this, even though it dates from 2022. Ritual murders are not only a ‘common crime’ in the south-southern, south-western and south-eastern part of the country – as mentioned in my January 3 posting – but are committed all over the country, hence also in the central part of the country and even the islam dominated states in the north.
As the following article emphasizes, Plateau State not only suffers from banditry, inter-ethnic violence and terrorist attacks but age-old belief in the power of ritualistic ceremonies and actives including murder also add to the state of insecurity which terrorizes the population. (webmaster FVDK)
Published: January 10, 2022 By: Chronicle, Nigeria
Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state has revealed that the recent cases of ritual killings suspected to be carried out by “Yahoo Boys” will be dealt with by government.
He also vowed to make the state uninhabitable for criminals, kidnappers and others behind criminal activities in the state.
The governor said this at an International Church Service to mark the 2022 Armed Forces Remembrance Day and Emblem Appeal Launch held at St. Finbarrs Catholic Church, Rayfield Jos.
Lalong expressed outrage over the recent cases of ritual killings in Jos as well as kidnappings which have become a source of concern to the Government and citizens.
He said, “I am deeply saddened by the activities of criminals who are trying to disrupt the peace of our State. Of much concern is the recent cases ritual killings which are suspected to be carried out by yahoo boys that security reports indicate are migrating to Plateau.
“Let me warn that we will make Plateau hot for you and ensure that the State vomits you. After so much work we have done to restore peace and security, we will not fold our arms to see criminals take over. I warn you to vacate Plateau because our people want to live in peace. You have no place here”.
Lalong also said that the State has stiff laws against kidnapping and other violent crimes which include death penalty, warning that anyone convicted by a Court of competent jurisdiction will not be spared.
While commending the sacrifices of fallen heroes and veterans who took part in the First and Second World Wars; the Nigerian Civil War; and Peace Support Operations around the globe, Lalong said there are still very many security challenges that the gallant men and women of the Armed forces are still laying down their lives to ensure address.
“Our Armed forces are today battling criminals who have challenged our national sovereignty through terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and many other nefarious activities that are aimed at destabilising our country and dividing the people,” Lalong said.
“We must therefore use this solemn moment to commend them for rising up to the occasion and making sure this does not happen. Despite the fact that the security situation in Nigeria at the moment is not what we desire it to be, we cannot afford to dampen the morale of the gallant officers and men who put their lives on the line daily to make sure that we sleep with our eyes closed.
Lalong noted that, “Without giving them their due recognition and honour, we will discourage not only them, but the younger generation from making similar sacrifices.”
In his sermon, the Parish Priest St. Finbarrs Catholic Church Rayfield and Chaplain, Government House Chapel Rev. Fr. Godfrey Gopep said while Nigerians are celebrating the sacrifices of its fallen heroes, there is need for them to give greater honour to the deceased by living in peace with one another to stopping other standing heroes from falling.
He said peace building cannot be possible without justice, forgiveness, tolerance and unity.
In their remarks, Chairman of the Nigerian Legion Plateau State, GOC 3rd Armoured Division represented by Brigadier General DD Kurmi, Gbong Gwom Jos represented by Agwom Izere HRH Rev. Isaac Wakili, CAN Chairman Plateau State represented by Pastor Elijah Akinwale all called on the people of Plateau State to embrace peace and support the Government in its efforts to restore Plateau State to its rightful place as the Home of Peace and Tourism.
They also called on government at levels to fulfill their obligations to the families of fallen heroes and pay proper attention to the welfare of the serving officers and men in order motivate them to continue to make sacrifices for the unity, peace and progress of Nigeria.
The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Abiodun Alamutu, had a clear message in his New Year Speech when he described ritual killings as the most disturbing trend of criminal activity in the small southwestern state.
I have drawn attention to the precarious situation in Ogun State in previous posts – see my December 31 (2023) and January 1 and January 2 (2024) postings. I have estimated that ritualistic murders have claimed more than 500 lives in Ogun State in the past year. One of the state’s most notorious ritual murder cases was the killing of a 18-year-old 100-level Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) student, Quadri Salami, for rituals in November 2023. Early December the police arrested two persons, Akeem Usman and Niyi Ifadowo, for allegedly killing the student for rituals (‘money rituals’). It was a gruesome murder. See the second article below.
Nigeria faces many challenges, not only in Ogun State. The population in the northwest is being terrorized by banditry and terrorism. In the northeast an insurgency looms, spilling over to the north-central part of the country. In the southeast separatist militants have become active again, and ritual killing and cultism are rife in the southwest and south-south. The Federal Government (FG) in the person of President Bola Tinubu has promised to end all forms of insecurity in the country in 2024.
We’ll monitor the achievements in 2024…. (webmaster FVDK)
Ritual Killings: Police lament over disturbing trend in Ogun
Published: January 2, 2024 By: Opalim Lifted – Chronicle, Nigeria
The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Abiodun Alamutu, has described ritual killings as the most disturbing trend of criminal activity in the state.
He said it is more worrying because ritual killings by nature “are never done in the open except through credible intelligence before the act is committed.”
Alamutu disclosed this to Abeokuta in his New Year message with crime reporters.
To address this, he said the command would embark on advocacy against the menace in the new year.
Alamutu noted that the state remains the safest in the country, but the command is confronted with peculiar challenges, especially the new trend of ritual killings.
He warned parents to caution their children to desist from any social vices, saying the police would not condone any form of criminality in the state in the new year.
“2023 has been a challenging year because we have crime across the country. But I still insist that, based on available records, the state remains one of the safest cities in the country as of today. Be that as it may, we have our own peculiar challenges.
“We are trying to level up; we are trying to be at least a step ahead of them, and the most disturbing trend now is the issue of ritual killings, which by its nature is never done in the open except through credible intelligence before the act is committed,” he said.
Warning: the following article contains graphic contents which may upset readers (FVDK)
Ogun police arrest two over killing of OAU student for ritual
Published: December 6, 2023 By: Mayor – Chronicle, Nigeria
The police command in Ogun says it has arrested two persons, Akeem Usman and Niyi Ifadowo, for allegedly killing 18-year-old 100-level Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) student Quadri Salami for rituals.
SP Omolola Odutola, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), disclosed this in a statement issued in Abeokuta on Wednesday.
Ms Odutola stated that Mr Salami’s father, on November 14, reported at Kemta Police station, Abeokuta, that his son had been missing since November 8.
She quoted the father as saying he had not set his eyes on his son and all efforts to locate him proved abortive.
The PPRO said that the Commissioner of Police in Ogun, Abiodun Alamutu, on Wednesday, personally led a team of Tactical Squad to Mile 6 in the Ajebo area of Abeokuta.
“The commissioner went with the team to a shallow grave to exhume the decomposing body parts of the deceased after a tracking clue beamed at Usman, who was arrested in possession of the victim’s phone.
“He implicated Ifadowo that both of them committed the heinous crime by slaughtering the victim and dismembering his vital parts for ritual purposes.
“Ifadowo went away with the deceased head and his two wrists and paid the sum of N100,000 into Usman’s account as proceeds from the sale of Salami’s other body parts.
“The suspects thereafter continued to sell the victim’s other body parts on demand to Internet fraudsters.
“They buried the heart, two legs, and flesh inside a plastic rubber for rituals and used the remaining parts for a crime against humanity,” the PPRO said.
Ms Odutola explained that in their confessional statement, the duo admitted that they had used four other human heads for money rituals.
She added that the suspects were now in Eleweran at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for the continuation of discreet investigation, saying that they would be prosecuted.
The police spokesperson said that the CP remained committed to ensuring that justice was served and would continue to investigate further to bring all perpetrators to face the full extent of the law.
She said that such criminal involvement endangered innocent lives, urging parents to collectively work together with the police by volunteering information to eradicate such nefarious practices.
I posted a few articles on the evil of ritual murders in Ogun State, Nigeria on December 31 and January 1.
The first one (the day before yesterday) was triggered by the ritual murder of Ayomide Agunbiade, a 12-year old boy, by his uncle who subsequently was killed in a mob action, jungle justice, in December.
The second posting, yesterday, was a kind of overview of ritualistic murders and related activities in this small southwestern state where in 2023 at least 15 people were murdered for ritualistic purposes. Among these 15 innocent victims was another 12-year old boy, John Soyinka, from Abeokuta, the state capital, whose dead body was found mutilated flive days after he got missing in November – see the article presented below.
The state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, now promises to do his best to fight this evil which, unfortunately, is not unique in Nigeria. The number of ritual killings in Nigeria (‘money rituals’) is frightening. I estimate that every week at least ten ritual murders are committed in Africa’s most populated country. Ten innocent lives cut short among whom children, the country’s future. On a yearly basis this amounts to more than 500 victims of ‘money rituals’.
I hope that in 2024 this evil will successfully be fought, reduced and, if possible, eliminated. (webmaster FVDK).
Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu
Published: December 31, 2023 By: Taiwo Bankole – Punch, Nigeria
As part of its efforts to stem the rising cases of ritual killings in the society, the Ogun State Police Command said it would embark on advocacy against the menace in the new year.
The state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, disclosed this while speaking with journalists on Sunday in Abeokuta.
Alamutu noted that the state remains the safest in the country, but the command is confronted with peculiar challenges especially the new trend of ritual killings.
He warned parents to caution their children to desist from any social vices, saying the police would not condone any form of criminality in the state in the new year.
Ogun State has had a fair share of frequent cult clashes in the outgoing year, especially in the Sagamu township, leading to the loss of at least 15 souls in the outgoing year.
PUNCH Online reports cases of ritual killings, the recent being the case of a missing 12-year-old boy, John Soyemi, whose mutilated body was found after five days at a community within Asero Estate.
Alamutu said, “2023 has been a challenging year because we have crime across the country. But I still insist based on available records that Ogun State remains one of the safest cities in the country as of today. Be that as it may, we have our own peculiar challenges.
“We are trying to level up. We are trying to be at least a step ahead of them, and the most disturbing trend now is the issue of ritual killings, which by its nature, is never done in the open except through credible intelligence before the act is committed.
“Unfortunately, the trend had continued to rise. So in the coming year, we are going to concentrate more on advocacy so that people will be aware of the fact that there is nothing like a money ritual.”
The CP continued, “You cannot make money by killing people, it is an agelong myth, it is a total fallacy. There’s really nothing like money rituals, they are just vicious, they are only being deceived to bring things they know it’s impossible to get like human head and all those stuff. By the end of the day, in their desperation, they go out for the eyeball, but then, there’s nothing like a money-making ritual.
“But our efforts in the coming year will be more sensitisation of members of the public. We will continue to place more emphasis on advocacy.”
“Cultism too is actually a serious menace, but the truth is that we are arresting them on a daily basis. But I’m happy the government is looking towards that direction and they need to put in place stiffer punishment for these people because it’s becoming a pastime, but the most disturbing news is that they are neither students nor artisans. They are just out there to take advantage of innocent people,” Alamutu noted.
Missing Ogun 12-year-old found dead after five days
Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola
Published: November 23, 2023 By: Taiwo Bankole – Punch. Nigeria
The corpse of a missing 12-year-old John Soyinka was reportedly found at Kotogbo community inside Asero Estate, Abeokuta, Ogun State on Monday morning with his eyes removed while his wrists were also said to have been cut off.
Our correspondent gathered that Soyinka was declared missing about a week ago and the incident was reported at the Obantoko Police Station, Abeokuta.
A resident of the area who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that the young school boy was said to have vanished into the thin air after trying to check on a customer who did PoS transactions in a shop where the deceased usually assisted them but never came back.
The source said, “I know the boy very well, he is about 12 years old and he lived alone with his mother whom I guessed is no longer with her husband. His mother is into menial jobs like helping people to sweep and the rest.
“The boy too was going to school but I also usually saw him at a business centre where they do PoS operations and barbing. I think he must be assisting them there. What we heard was that, last week 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 District 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. It’s an incident that has really thrown all the residents into mourning”.
When contacted for a reaction, the spokesperson of Ogun State Police Command, SP Omolola Odutola, described the incident as very pathetic saying that it was painful to note that despite the fact that the police swung into action when the boy’s case was brought to their attention, it was his mutilated body that was found days later inside the bush.
Odutola said, “The case is so pathetic. The DPO vigorously searched for this boy only to find his mutilated body inside the bush. The body has been released to the family for burial.”
Nigeria is a federation of 36 semi-autonomous states. The country’s capital city is Abuja, located in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) – in the centre of the country. The FCT is not a state.
Map of Nigeria showing Ogun State among the 36 states of the Federation
Ogun State is one of Nigeria’s smallest states. With a land area of 16,762 square kilometers it is the country’s 24th largest state; it is Nigeria’s 16th most populated state with an estimated 7 million people (source: Wikipedia).
Abeokuta is Ogun State’s capital; other important cities in the state include Ijebu-Ode and Sagamu.
In the year 2023 criminals held Ogun State to ransom. As stated in the article below:
“Criminal activities such as armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, ritual killing, highway robbery and sexual offenses, among others rose to the highest crescendo during the year. 2023 would be remembered as the year cultists held sway, armed robbers reigned with terror, ritualists went on killing spree and kidnappers became the king of highways.”
Yet, the State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, while admitting that 2023 had been a challenging year for the police following the wave of crime across the state, insisted that based on available records Ogun State remains one of the safest States in the country as at today.
Read the article below to judge for yourself.
Before concluding, just allow me one remark. If indeed Ogun State is one of the safest states in Nigeria, as Police Commissioner Abiodun Alamutu alleges, life in the other states of Africa’s most populated country – with a total population of about 220 million people – must be a hell.
A quick calculation leads us to a pulse-pounding conclusion. With 15 ritual murders in Ogun State alone, if this would be representative for the country as a whole, then we may conclude that yearly more than 500 ritual murders are committed in Nigeria (36 x 15) which means three innocent deadly victims of ritualistic violence every two days.
Presumably, this number is just the tip of the iceberg…
Warning: the following article contains graphic contents. (webmaster FVDK).
2023, the Year Criminals Held Ogun to Ransom
Ritual killers on the rampage
Published; December 30, 2023 By: Olufemi Adediran – New Telegraph, Nigeria
The year 2023 would be remembered by many residents of Ogun State as the year criminals and men of the underworld held the State in “captive”. Criminal activities such as armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, ritual killing, highway robbery and sexual offenses, among others rose to the highest crescendo during the year. 2023 would be remembered as the year cultists held sway, armed robbers reigned with terror, ritualists went on killing spree and kidnappers became the king of highways.
Hardly did a week go by without Ogun State being in the news for one form of criminal activity or the other. The state also recorded one of the most violent elections in its history during the March 18 Governorship election. The election was characterised by killings, gunshots, ballot box snatching, vote buying and arson.
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Ritual killers on the rampage
Suspected ritualists in their reign of terror during the year put the state on the edge with their and criminal activities. Missing persons, human parts trading and exhuming of corpses from their graves were common stories that emanated from the state during this year. Many families, especially that of victims were been thrown into untold anguish through the wicked acts of these men of the underworld. According to available data, no fewer than 15 cases ritual killings were recorded in different parts of the State in 2023.
Most recent is the killing of an 100 level student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Quadri Salami for money ritual by an herbalist, Ifadowo Niyi and Akeem Usman. The duo of Akeem and Ifadowo allegedly slaughtered 18-year-old Salami and dismembered his body parts and buried his remains in a shallow grave. According to the police, “Ifadowo went away with Quadri’s head and his two wrists after paying the sum of N100,00 into Akeem Usman’s account as proceeds from the sale of the human body parts.
“The suspects thereafter continued to sell the victim’s other body parts on demand to Internet fraudsters and buried the heart, two legs, and flesh inside a plastic rubber for rituals and used the remaining parts for ‘Awure’ (money ritual).” In November, the corpse of a 12-year-old boy, John Soyinka was discovered in Abeokuta after being murdered by suspected ritualists. The corpse of the boy was discovered at Kotogbo community inside Asero Estate, Abeokuta with his eyes removed while his wrists were also cut off.
Soyinka, who was living with her mother was declared missing for about a week before his corpse was later discovered. Ritualists in their reign of terror did not spare the dead. Early this year, suspected ritualists went on the rampage, invading burial grounds and exhuming corpses. Our correspondent gathered that, no fewer than 50 graves were dug and corpses exhumed by the perpetrators who chopped off their heads for ritual purposes. The incident occurred in Ipokia community, the headquarters of Ipokia Local Government Area of the State.
The incident went on unabated for almost three months with the perpetrators operating in the cover of the night. While residents were asleep, the hood- lums stormed graveyards and in many cases, compounds where people buried their loved ones to carry out their heinous crimes. “They (suspected ritualists) sneak into people’s compounds, dig the grave and remove the skull and any other parts they need. They will do it in a manner residents won’t wake up to know there is anything going on around them.
“You will just wake up in the morning to see that the grave in your compound has been dug and the skull removed. But nobody has been arrested since two months ago when this aberration started”, a resident told our correspondent. “This crime is being committed every day in the town where we have DSS, police and other security outfits. No one has been arrested. Definitely, the perpetrators of this crime are indigenes, they are not strangers, another resident, Ade Ashade said.
Cult war claims 50 lives (…)
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2023, challenging year for police – CP
The State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, admitted that 2023 had been a challenging year for the police following the wave of crime across the state. Alamutu in an interview with Saturday Telegraph says the police will engage members of the public in more advocacy and enlightenment to combat crime in the coming year. However, despite the security challenges across the state, Alamutu insisted that Ogun State remained one of the safest states in the country.
Alamutu said: “It has been a challenging year because of wave of crime across the country but I still insist based on available records that Ogun State remains one of the safest States in the country as at today. “We have our own peculiar challenges and we are trying to level up, we are trying to be at least a step ahead of them (criminals). “But, the most disturbing trend now is the issue of ritual killings which by its nature is never done in the open except through credible intelligence before the act is committed and we are trying to catch up with them, but unfortunately, the trend has continue to rise.
“In the coming year, we are going to concentrate more on advocacy, so that people will be aware of the fact that there is really nothing like money ritual. You cannot make money by killing people, it is an aged-long myth that has been proved to be a total fallacy. “Our efforts in the coming year will be more on sensitisation of members of the public and for parents to be conscious of the category of persons their kids relate with because the trend is becoming disturbing, but we are not going to fold our hands in despair, we will continue to hit them hard and place more emphasis on advocacy, all that people will be conscious of fact that it is a total myth and it is never a reality.
“Cultism too is actually a serious men- ace and you can recollect the terrible experience we had in Sagamu and some other places, but the truth is that on daily basis we keep arresting these people. ‘I think the way forward is to make a stiffer punishment for these people and I am happy the government is looking towards that direction too because cultism is fast becoming a pass time and everybody wants to belong to one cult group or the other. “The most disturbing part of it is that most of these people are either students or artisans, they are just out to take advantage innocent and law abiding citizens, but we are on top of the situation.
“The youths must know that involving in cultism is like delving into a dangerous voyage, nothing good can come out of it. “Amnesty for cultists is a consistent pro- gramme. People are coming out on their own because we cannot grant everybody amnesty. If anyone has genuine interest in renouncing cultism, such person would have come before he is arrested. We are being careful about granting amnesty to cultists because some people will want to use that as a way of evading prosecution.”
The tragic death of a 12-year old boy, Ayomide Agunbiade, who got missing on his birthday, on December 25, and was found later with his head missing, led to a mob action, or jungle justice, which resulted in the death of the two alleged perpetrators among whom the victim’s uncle. Jungle justice is not uncommon in Nigeria where authorities fail to take quick action and the rule of law is weak. It all happened in the Odo Alaro area of Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria. In this West African country ritualistic murders (locally called ‘money rituals’) are rampant as explained in yesterday’s posting. (webmaster FVDK)
Angry crowd lynches man for using his nephew for ritual
The man was said to have confessed to the crime during an interrogation after initially denying knowing the whereabouts of the minor.
Angry crowd lynch man to death for using his nephew for ritual [The Whistle Newspaper]
A man, whose identity is yet-to-be disclosed, has been lynched for allegedly using his 12-year-old nephew, Ayomide Agunbiade, for ritual purposes in the Odo Alaro area of Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State.
It was gathered that Agunbiade had gone missing on Christmas Day (Monday, December 25, 2023), which was his birthday after someone identified to be his uncle had come to pick him up in the absence of his mother that he wanted to celebrate his birthday with him.
According to a village elder who pleaded anonymity because he was not permitted to speak on the matter, it was when the case of the missing child was escalated within the community on Tuesday, December 26, that a boy, said to have witnessed the moment the missing boy went with his uncle, told the search party that the deceased took him out on Monday.
The source further stated that when the uncle was confronted about the allegation of knowing the whereabouts of the missing boy, he denied anything about it but that the boy insisted that he was the one who came to pick him for the birthday celebration.
Upon further interrogation by some community members, the said uncle was said to have confessed to know Agunbiade’s whereabouts but told them that he had killed him for ritual purposes.
The source said, “The boy went missing on Christmas Day (Monday) which was his birthday. We learnt that an uncle of his had come to pick him up when his mother was not at home. He was playing with other children in the community when the man came to pick him up that he wanted to celebrate his birthday with him.
“It was yesterday (Tuesday), when the family began to look for him but couldn’t find him that they raised the alarm in the community before a boy whom they were playing together with told the family that it was an uncle that came to pick him for his birthday celebration.
“When we asked the man to take us to the place the child was, he and one other guy took us to an uncompleted building where we found the body of Ayomide with his head missing.
“It was the sight of the state of Ayomide (Agunbiade) that infuriated the crowd who had gathered in numbers. The crowd descended on them and lynched them before police officers came around and took their bodies away.”
When contacted for a reaction, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Omolola Odutola, did not reply to calls made to her line as of the time of filing this report.
Police probe Ogun mob killing, warn against jungle justice
Published: December 29, 2023 By: Johnson Idowu – Punch, Nigeria
Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola
he Ogun State Police Command said it had begun an investigation into the circumstances that led to the lynching of two persons over allegations of the murder of 12-year-old Ayomide Agunbiade for ritual purposes in the Odo Alaro area of Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State on Tuesday.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with PUNCH Metro on Thursday.
PUNCH Metro reports that two yet-to-be-identified persons were lynched by a mob for allegedly killing a 12-year-old boy, Ayomide Agunbiade, for ritual purposes in the Odo Alaro area of Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State on Tuesday.
Our correspondent learnt that Agunbiade had gone missing on Christmas Day (Monday) which was his birthday after someone said to be his uncle had come to pick him up in the absence of his mother in the pretext of celebrating his birthday with him.
A village elder who pleaded anonymity, because he was not permitted to speak on the matter, told our correspondent that it was when the case of the missing child was escalated within the community that a boy, said to have witnessed the moment the missing boy went with his uncle, told the search party that someone who presented himself as an uncle took him out on Monday.
The source further informed PUNCH Metro that when the uncle was confronted about the allegation of knowing the whereabouts of the missing boy, he denied anything about his whereabouts but the boy insisted that he was the one who came to pick him up for the birthday celebration.
It was also gathered that upon further interrogation by some community members, the said uncle confessed to knowing Agunbiade’s whereabouts but told them that he had killed him for ritual purposes.
“It was the sight of the state of Ayomide (Agunbiade) that infuriated the crowd who had gathered in numbers. The crowd descended on them and lynched them before police officers came around and took their bodies away,” he said.
Odutola, who confirmed the incident, stressed that mob action in any form is a punishable offence under the law. She disclosed that the command had begun an investigation into the matter and anyone found culpable would be made to face the law.
“A case of suspected ritual killing was reported to the Odogbolu Divisional Police station on Tuesday and police operatives swung into action immediately. On getting to the scene, the mob had already descended on the suspects. When our officers tried to intervene, the mob attacked the police team which led them to call for reinforcement.
“The police team eventually took the suspects who were in a bad state to the nearest hospital but they were confirmed dead by the doctor on duty. Their bodies and that of the 11-year-old boy had been deposited at the morgue for autopsy.
“The command wish to state clearly that jungle justice or mob action is a punishable offense. We have commenced investigation into the matter and whoever is found culpable will be prosecuted.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alamutu, remains committed to riding the state of criminal elements and will not rest on its oars in dealing decisively with criminals,” Odutola concluded.
For allegedly killing a 12-year-old boy, Ayomide Ogunbiade for ritual purposes, two yet-to-be-identified persons were reportedly lynched by a mob in the Odo Alaro area of Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State on Tuesday.
Published: December 28, 2023 By: Kazeem Badmus – OsunDefender, Nigeria
Osun Defender gathered that Agunbiade went missing on Monday after someone identified to be his uncle had come to pick him up in the absence of his mother that he wanted to celebrate his birthday with him.
A resident of the area who pleaded anonymity, said a boy who witnessed the moment the missing boy went with his uncle, told the search party that an uncle took him out on Monday,
The source said although the uncle denied involvement when confronted about the allegation, the boy insisted that he was the one who came to pick him up for the birthday celebration.
It was also gathered that upon further interrogation by some community members, the said uncle confessed to knowing Agunbiade’s whereabouts but told them that he had killed him for ritual purposes.
The source said, “The boy went missing on Christmas Day (Monday) which was his birthday. We learnt that an uncle of his had come to pick him up when his mother was not at home. He was playing with other children in the community when the man came to pick him up that he wanted to celebrate his birthday with him.
“It was yesterday (Tuesday) when the family began to look for him but couldn’t find him that they raised the alarm in the community before a boy whom they were playing together with told the family that it was an uncle that came to pick him up for his birthday celebration.
“When we asked the man to take us to the place the child was, he and one other guy took us to an uncompleted building where we found the body of Ayomide with his head missing.
“It was the sight of the state of Ayomide (Agunbiade) that infuriated the crowd who had gathered in numbers. The crowd descended on them and lynched them before police officers came around and took their bodies away.”
A senior police source close to the community confirmed the incident but declined to comment further for lack of authority to speak with the media.
“The incident truly happened but you know I cannot make comments on it because I am not authorised to speak with the media.”
