Bong County, Liberia: missing child sparks fear and anger

It may be qualified as normal that parents are worried when one of their childen is missing and it’s also quite normal when neighbors and relatives share in these emotions and help in searching for the missing child. In Bong County, residents took to the streets and even stormed the police headquarters on February 5 after a 9-year old boy, little Moses Vesselee, was reported missing the previous day.

A community leader expressed the generally felt fear that the situation might be caused by a ritualistic killing. After all, in Bong County ritualistic killings are no exception.

In recent years several murders for ostensibly ritual purposes have been reported, mutilated bodies of victims (often young children) have been found. In 2017, a year when presidential and general elections were held, there were demonstrations in this vote-rich county against the reported surge in ritualistic killings.

On February 8, the body of little Moses Vesselee, commonly known Kuwai, was found in an open pit. The coroner concluded that the little boy had died from drowning, hence no ‘foul play’.

Be that as it may – and let’s hope the coroner’s conclusions are warranted and there was indeed no foul play – the incident shows once more the persistent problem of ritualistic killing in this West African country. The reader is reminded of Dr. Alan White’s testimony before the US Congress, in 2023. In his testimony, Dr. White, the former Chief Investigator of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, elaborated on the phenomenon of ritualistic murders in Liberia, and he linked the Weah Administration – replaced in January 2024 – to extrajudicial, ritualistic killings (see below for details).

Concluding, the anger and frustration of the Bong County residents who stormed the police headquarters may thus have become clear. Let’s hope that there is never again reason to reproach the police a slow response or lack of action, and let’s hope that no more ritualistic murders will take place.

Only the future will tell if this hope is justified.

Warning: the articles presented below contain graphic contents and pictures which may upset readers (FVDK).

Bong County: 9-year-old boy goes missing – residents storm Police’s HQs for speedy investigation

Published: February 8, 2024
By: J. Peter S. Dennis – News Public Trust, Liberia

GBARNGA, Liberia- Angry residents of Rubber Factory Community on have stormed the Headquarters of the Liberia National Police Bong County Detachment to intervene in the search of a missing nine-year-old child some 198 kilometers from Monrovia.

According to the furious citizens in this central city, Little Moses Vesselee commonly known as Kuwai, went missing during the afternoon hours of Sunday, February 4, 2024.

He and his parents including Church members had gone to dig sand at the bank of Jor River in Gbarnga. The Jor River is noted for its illegal and unregulated sand mining activities in Bong County.

Speaking on behalf of the angry citizens, Mr. Adolphus Kpana, the community leader and a resident, Clarence Sally, expressed fear that any delay in the search of Little Kuwai Vesselee might lead to an undesirable situation while reflecting on several reported ritualistic killings of minors in Bong County (italics and bold letter type added by the webmaster FVDK).

“We want you join us to look for the child. We’re against this act. We want our son,” they said.

“Any action of us not finding our son, the citizens will inspect every car leading to and fro Monrovia. We will not take this likely” they warned.

The Rubber Factory Community residents openly petitioned the Liberia National Police Bong County Detachment through its Assistant Commissioner of Police, Fasu V. Sherriff to investigate and intervene towards the search of the mysterious disappearance of the 9-yr-old boy.

The concerned citizens were seen with placards saying:  “Please stop the ritualistic killing in Bong; We want our son to be freed; the killing must stop, release our son.” (italics and bold letter type added by the webmaster FVDK).

In remarks, Sherriff said he and his men have instituted all security measures since they obtained information regarding the disappearance of little Moses Vesselee and expressed hope of finding the child alive.

He however, called on residents of Rubber Factory community to assist the police with vital information in the discharge of their investigation.

“We started since this morning looking for the boy as soon as we got the tipoff. We are sharing the information with our colleagues to find the boy alive. We want you to provide additional information to do our work. We need your cooperation,” Sheriff said.

Investigation into circumstances surrounding the child’s mysterious disappearance continues.

Source: In Bong: 9-Year-Old Boy Goes Missing, As Residents Storm Police’s HQs For Speedy Investigation

After four days the missing 9-year old boy was found dead:

Liberia: Missing Child, Moses, Found Dead in Sand Mining Deposit in Gbarnga
As  Police in Gbarnga say, an investigation is continuing into the mysterious  death of the little child

The late Moses T.K. Vesselee, age 9, was found dead in a sand mining deposit, 5ft 10 inches deep, with bruises on his head and his skin peeling.

Published: February 8, 2024
By: Patrick S. Tokpah – Daily Observer, Liberia

After being missing for four days, 9-year-old Moses T.K. Vesselee was discovered dead in Rubber Factory Community in Gbarnga, Bong County.

Popularly known in the community as Kuwai, Little Moses’ corpse was discovered on February 7, 2024, near the Jor River in the Rubber Factory Community, Gbarnga City. The 9-year-old boy’s remains were discovered in a sand mining deposit, about 5ft 10 inches deep, with bruises on his head while the outer layer of his skin was peeled or removed.

The deceased went missing on Sunday, February 4, 2024, at about 3:00 pm when he and his parents, along with other church members, had all gone to mine sand along the Jor River in the community.

Residents of the community in Gbarnga, Bong County, on February 5, 2024, stormed the headquarters of the Liberia National Police Bong County Detachment to intervene in the search for a missing nine-year-old child.

They expressed fear that delays in the search of the boy might lead to an undesirable situation reflective of circumstances involving the killings of other children in the county without the alleged perpetrators being brought to book.

Meanwhile, upon the discovery of Kuwai’s body on Wednesday, a 15-man jury constituted by the LNP Bong County CSD Department examined the body and reported “no foul” played, thereby instructing family members of the victim to immediately interrogate his remains. The coroner jury report further revealed that Little Vesselee died from drowning.

Furthermore, family members of the late Moses T.K. Vesselee, in a remorseful mood, concurred with the jury’s report but scapegoated police officers in the county over their delay in investigating the whereabouts of their 9-year-old son. 

Moreover, Police in Gbarnga say an investigation is continuing into the mysterious  death of the little child 

Prior to his death, Moses was a 5th-grade student at Community House Elementary and Junior High School, located in the Rubber Factory community of Gbarnga.

Source: Liberia: Missing Child, Moses, Found Dead in Sand Mining Deposit in Gbarnga

Some of the recent ritual murder cases in Bong County:

2015:

Girl, 11 found dead with missing body parts
Date: January 22, 2015
Published by: The New Dawn, Liberia

The decomposed body of an 11-year-old girl, who went missing in the Frank Joe Community in Gbarnga, Bong County has been found with several body parts allegedly extracted.

Sunday afternoon, 18 January, 2015 was a scene of grief and consternation in Gbarnga  as the minor’s  corpse was discovered along the bank of the Jor River in the central Liberia provincial capital.

Little Dailey Gbapue’s body parts, including vagina, ears, and nose were all reported missing when the body was discovered.

A relative of the deceased, Salome Gbapue, narrated that the little girl was sent by a neighbor of the community last week Wednesday afternoon, 14 January to go and buy something, but never return only to discover her dead body four days later with body parts reportedly missing.

She continued that they had to bury the little girl by the river bank because the body was almost decayed.

Miss Gbapue said a man only identified as Oldman had informed her that he knew the whereabouts of little Dailey Gbapue and she asked him to led her to the location, which he failed to do.

She said police have since arrested and detained Oldman and the female community resident, who sent the deceased on the errand.

Police in Bong County have confirmed the arrest and launched an intensive investigation into the incident.

Many residents are linking the death of little Dailey Gbapue to ‘heart man’ or ritualistic activities. Though dead bodies had been discovered in Gbarnga, especially in the Jor River in recent years, were no reports of body parts missing.

Bong County residents have called on police in the county to launch thorough investigation into the matter and bring the perpetrator to justice.

The death of little Dailey Gbapue has created fear in several quarters in the county with some expressing that this might be a return of ritualistic killings for power.

Source: Girl, 11 found dead with missing body parts

And in 2016 it was reported:

3-yr-old missing child found dead with several body parts missing
Published: February 23, 2016
By: Ramsey N. Singbeh, Jr. in Margibi-Edited by Jonathan Browne – The New Dawn, Liberia

Mr. Jackson father of missing boy, A three-year-old boy has been
mysteriously found dead in Kpatolee Clan, Salala District, lower Bong County.

The late Jacob Jackson was found dead on Thursday, February 18, 2016 with several parts extracted from his body after he had gone missing on 11 February in his parents’ garden. His lifeless body was discovered in a little water called Nanei about five minutes’ walk from his parents’ garden in a swamp.

Among parts that were missing from the lad’s body include eyes, nose, tongue and esophagus as well as his penis. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, February 20, the secretary of a 15-member jury only identified as Morris, explained the body was found lying on its back, completely naked with skin on forehead removed.

Morris also narrated they saw the area where the body was forcibly pushed and dragged into the water, but said no one has been linked to the gruesome death of little Jacob Jackson. He accused authorities of Kpatolee Clan of denying family of the deceased and community residents the opportunity to search houses in the area because news had earlier come that the boy was still alive in one of the houses in the community.

He said authorities of the clan prevented youth, including himself from erecting road block to draw the attention of central government. Morris recalled that on 14 February two strange guys were arrested with some drugs and turned over to the local authorities, but the suspects claimed they were in search of a local herb called country spot.

He said the guys were arrested with blade, toothbrush and flashlight in the same surrounding where the late Jacob went missing. “Of the two men, one claimed to have come from Kakata while the other said he came from Salala.”

He said they were immediately arrested and turned over to the police in Salala and subsequently sent to jail, but wants the suspects brought to justice. One resident of Salala who spoke on anonymity, said the child went missing in an area where his father was present and working the very day, but was reluctant to carry out a search despite pressure from his wife.

However, the boy’s mother continuously cried on him to help her find the child, and without getting his cooperation, reported the matter to residents of the town who compared him to stop work and join his wife to look for their son.

Mr. Jackson refused to speak to the press on the mysterious death of his son.

Source: 3-yr-old missing child found dead

2017 was an election year. In Liberia an election year often means an increase in ritualistic killings.

In August 2017, Bong County citizens took to the streets to protest against the reported surge in ritualistic murders. A leading Liberian newspaper, FrontPage Africa, published an alarming article on this citizens’ protest, Vote-Rich Liberian County Protests Election Year Ritualistic Killings’ which I posted.

Bong County citizens protest against ritualistic killings.

On October 15, 2021 the Liberia National Police gave a press briefing on the ritualistic killing in Bong County (and other national issues) which can be downloaded on YouTube, see below.

Screenshot. To watch the Liberia National Police Press Briefing on the Ritualist act in Bong County and other National Issues, please click here

The immediate reason for this press conference was the discovery of the mutilated body of a 21-year old woman in Gbarnga, Bong County’s capital. I posted this report, published by FrontPage Africa, a week later, on October 22, 2021 as ‘Liberia – another ritualistic murder: missing young woman found dead, body parts extracted‘.

Front Page Africa, October 15, 2021 reporting on the murder of a 21-year woman for ritualistic purposes.

The preceding overview does not pretend to be complete. Its main purpose is to demonstrate that the anger and fear of the residents of Bong County after 9-year old Kuwai Vesselee got missing was warranted.

For briefness sake I will refer here to Dr. Alan White’s testimony before the US Senate on ritual murders and mysterious disappearances in Liberia on September 19, 2023, linking the Weah Administration to extrajudicial, ritualistic killings. Dr. White is the Chief Investigator of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) .

Nigeria, Ogun State: a hotbed of ritual crimes

Recently I posted several articles on Ogun State’s notorious reputation with respect to ritualistic killings (‘money rituals’).

On December 31, 2023 and January 1, January 2 and January 3 of the current year I paid attention to the scourge of ritual murders in Ogun State, triggered by the public acknowledgement of the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, that ritual killings are the most disturbing trend of criminal activity in the state, followed by the warning that Ogun State Police envisaged to embark on a campaign against the reported rise in ritual murders in 2024.

But also further back, in 2020, I reported that there was an alarming increase in ritualistic murders in this southwestern state, according to my June 3 post of that year: ‘What the **** is goin’ on in Ogun State, Nigeria? Alarming increase in ritualistic murders!’

A recent ritual murder case, implicating a gang of seven men including two priests of a white garment church and two herbalist, originating from four different southern states (Ogun, Oyo, Lagos and Edo), was widely covered in the national media (and also abroad). In all, this post covers nearly twenty articles.

The victim was a 35-year old woman, Sulaimon Adijat. She was brutally murdered for ritual purposes, her body heavily mutilated, on or about January 9. Allegedly, the suspects were not only into ritual murders but also dealt in human parts trading on a large scale. Read the details below. It is a chilling account of heinous crimes committed by greedy and unscrupulous men.

Warning: The following articles contain graphic details which may upset readers (FVDK)

Seven Arrested for Gruesome Murder and Trade of Human Body Parts in Ogun State

Seven Arrested for Gruesome Murder and Trade of Human Body Parts in Ogun State

Published: February 16, 2024
By: Nasiru Eneji Abdulrasheed – BNN, The People’s Network, Nigeria

Seven individuals, including two herbalists and two alleged priests, have been arrested in Ogun State for the murder of Sulaimon Adijat and trading her body parts for a ritual called ‘Oshole’. The police are investigating a larger network involved in these heinous activities, shedding light on the moral decay in society.

In the quiet shadows of Ogun State, a chilling tale of greed and betrayal unfolds, as seven individuals, including two herbalists, two alleged priests of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, and three others, were apprehended for their involvement in a nefarious plot that culminated in the murder of 35-year-old Sulaimon Adijat.

The suspects, ensnared by the allure of wealth, confessed to the brutal killing, aiming to trade human life for financial gain through a ritual known as ‘Oshole’. The Ogun State Police Command, following a report of the missing woman, embarked on an investigation that led to the grim discovery and subsequent arrest of the gang, unveiling a larger network engaged in the trade of human body parts for monetary rituals, seeking to conjure N200 million within a mere seven days.

A Gruesome Discovery

The investigation into Sulaimon Adijat’s disappearance revealed a horrific scene. Various human body parts, intended for use in the ‘Oshole’ ritual, were recovered from the suspects, painting a gruesome picture of the lengths to which some would go for wealth.

The suspects, now under investigation, confessed to their roles in the crime, exposing the dark underbelly of a society where human life is traded for monetary gain. The Ogun Police Command’s swift action has brought to light the existence of a larger network, prompting an extensive search for other individuals involved in these illicit activities.

The revelation of such a heinous crime has sent shockwaves through the community, raising questions about the moral fabric of those who seek prosperity at the cost of human life. 

The brutal killing of Sulaimon Adijat for money rituals not only highlights the desperate measures some are willing to take but also the pervasive belief in the power of such rituals to alter one’s financial destiny. The incident has ignited a broader conversation on the societal values and the urgent need for a moral reawakening.

Source: Seven Arrested for Gruesome Murder and Trade of Human Body Parts in Ogun State

More:

Two popular prophets arrested for murdering 35-year-old woman for sika duro

The deceased, 35-year old Sulaimon Adijat

Published: February 16, 2024
By: Armani Brooklyn – GHPage

Two Nigerian herbalists named Moses Abidemi and Oluwo Samuel Monday as well as two prophets of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Prophet Peter Oluwalolese and Prophet Jamiu Yusuf have all been arrested for the killing of one Sulaimon Adijat, aged 35, for money ritual purposes.

Three other suspects, Akinwunmi Ifatosin, Sherifff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria, who are both from Uromi in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, were also arrested for the murder.

According to the reports, the aforementioned people are a gang of hardened criminals who are not only involved in ritual killings but also deal in large sales of human parts.

Apparently, the deceased was reported missing in January not knowing that she had been murdered and used for money rituals.

Adijat was said to have been invited out on a date by one Adebayo Olawale Azeez of Ajegunle road, Atan Ota, where she was later kidnapped and murdered.

Source: Two popular prophets arrested for murdering 35-year-old woman for sika duro

And:

Police arrest prophet, 6 other ritualists for killing lady to make N200m in 7 days

Published: February 16, 2024
By: Afolabi – Within Nigeria

  • Olamutu stated that the report of a missing lady, Ms Sulaiimon Adijat, led to the arrest of the culprits

In Ogun State, a seven-man gang that deals in decapitating humans and selling their parts for rituals has been bursted, the police in the south west state have disclosed. The State Police Commissioner, Abiodun Olamutu, made the disclosure in a statement on Thursday.

According to Olamutu, a human heart and two kegs filled with human bodies were recovered from the suspects. He gave the name of the suspects as Moses Abidemi, Oluwo Monday, Prophet Peter Akiwunmi Ifatosin, Jamiu Yusuf, Sheriff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitoura.

Olamutu stated that the report of a missing lady, Ms Sulaiimon Adijat, led to the arrest of the culprits.

Olamutu said the Divisional Police Office, Onipanu, received a report that Adijat was missing on January 9 after she waa invited out on a date by one Adebayo Azeez.

“Despite frantic efforts to locate her whereabouts, her 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.

The police boss said 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.

“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 age of 18 and 20 years,” he added.

According to him, 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 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 200 million in seven days.

“A search was conducted in the shrine of Moses on Feb. 3 and 10, where female handbags, two cement sacks containing human bones were recovered,” he said.

Source: Police arrest prophet, 6 other ritualists for killing lady to make N200m in 7 days

And:

Herbalists, Prophets Paraded By Police For Killing 35Yr Old Woman For Money Rituals In Ogun

Published: February 16, 2024
By: Onuigbo Felicia – Gistmania, Nigeria

Two herbalists, Moses Abidemi and Oluwo Samuel Monday, and two prophets of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Prophet Peter Oluwalolese and Prophet Jamiu Yusuf, were on Thursday paraded by the police in Ogun State for killing a 35-year-old woman, Sulaimon Adijat, for money rituals.

Paraded alongside the priests were Akinwunmi Ifatosin, Sherifff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria.

Parading the suspects at the command headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, said the suspects were not only into ritual killings but also dealt in human parts trading on a large scale.

He said the operation that led to the arrest of the suspects started on January 9 when a report was lodged at the Onipanu divisional headquarters in Atan-Ota about the missing Adijat.

Adijat allegedly went missing after going for a date with one Adebayo Olawale Azeez of Ajegunle road, Atan Ota.

The commissioner said the victim’s family made frantic efforts to locate her whereabouts which all proved abortive while her mobile phone was also switched off.

Alamutu said that the command deployed its Anti Kidnapping Unit to unravel the mystery behind Adijat’s disappearance.

He added that a technical-based investigation embarked upon by the unit pointed towards the seven suspects.

Alamutu said: 

Quote
“The investigation revealed that on 19th November, 2023, one Sherifff Agbai ‘m’, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ contacted Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ a.k.a Oluwo Mandela to perform money ritual known as ‘Oshole’ that can produce Two Hundred Million naira within seven days.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday charged the duo of Sherifff Agbai ‘m’, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ the sum of Eight Hundred thousand naira (#800,000) and agreed to prepare the materials for the money ritual.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ in furtherance of his criminal intention later contacted one Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ who was not new in the trade of human parts, to source for a lady between the age of 18yrs to 20yrs in order to deliver her mutilated body parts, specifically the head, two Bosom, virginal and her two wrists that will be used for money ritual.

“Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ who is an acclaimed Prophet of a white garment church located in Ibadan, Oyo state, contacted another colleague of his, one Prophet Jamiu Yusuf ‘m’ a,k.a Eri Mose in Lagos state, who is notorious in the supply of human parts for ritual purpose.

“Prophet Jamiu Yusuf further contacted one Abidemi Moses ‘m’ a.k.a. Asela, who is a herbalist at Atan Ota, Ogun State. Abidemi Moses ‘m’ requested for the sum of Six Hundred thousand naira to get a lady that can be used for the money ritual.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ negotiated for the sum of three hundred thousand naira for the human body parts. Abidemi Moses ‘m’ is a herbalist and he serves as an apprentice to one Adebayo Olawale Azeez ‘m’, now at large, to harvest human parts for sale, a business he has enjoyed the proceeds for the past three years.

“Hence, on 9th January, 2024, Adebayo Olawale Azeez ‘m’ invited one Sulaiman Adijat ‘f’ on a date to Sunshine hotel, Atan Ota, and she was later taken to Abidemi Moses shrine at Igbo Olomi area of Atan Ota, Ogun State.

“She was killed by Abidemi Moses ‘m’ and others now at large, and her dismembered body parts were taken to Abidemi Moses’s house at Atan Ota to meet Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ and Prophet Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ who were waiting for the arrival of the body parts.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ collected the head, two Bosoms, virginal, and two wrists and other body parts of the deceased. Oluwo Samuel Monday prepared the body parts in a local pot, and lighted firewood to burn it in Abidemi Moses’s house till the next day.

“Prophet Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ joined Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ to kill the ram that was used to appease the spirit of the deceased during the process of performing money ritual. Prophet Peter Oluwalolese and Prophet Jamiu Yusuf were also given some body parts of the deceased.

“On 10th January, 2024, Sheriff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ collected the money ritual from Oluwo Monday Samuel and travelled back to their location in Edo State.

“Trouble started when Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ used the money ritual element as directed by Oluwo Monday Samuel, and they both complained bitterly that the money ritual failed to yield the expected sum of Two hundred million (#200,000,000) in seven days despite having used if for three weeks.

“A search was conducted in the shrine of Abidemi Moses on the 3rd February, 2024, and ten female handbags, two 25 litres gallons containing human parts, one axe, and two cement sacks containing human bones were recovered from his shrine at Igbo Olomi, Atan Ota.

“The relative of the deceased later came to the police station and identified one of the ten bags that were recovered as the hand bag of their daughter Sulaimon Adijat.”
Unquote

The commissioner disclosed that efforts were on to apprehend the fleeing suspects. He noted that the matter would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.

Source: Herbalists, Prophets Paraded By Police For Killing 35Yr Old Woman For Money Rituals In Ogun

And:

Prophet, six others arrested for ritual killing in Ogun

Published: February 17, 2024
By: Punch, Nigeria

The Ogun Police Command has arrested a seven-man gang suspected to be specialised in trading human parts and 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.

Source: Prophet, six others arrested for ritual killing in Ogun

And:

Pictures: Prophets, Herbalists, Others Arrested For Killing 35-year-old Lady For Money Rituals

The victim, 35-year old Sulaimon Adijat

Published: February 16, 2024
By: Justina Otto – NaijaNews, Nigeria

The Ogun State Police Command has apprehended some suspects in connection to the murder of one Sulaimon Adijat for ritual purposes.

Those arrested include two herbalists, Moses Abidemi and Oluwo Samuel Monday as well as two alleged priests of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Prophet Peter Oluwalolese and Prophet Jamiu Yusuf.

Three other suspects, Akinwunmi Ifatosin, Sherifff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria, who are both from Uromi in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, were also arrested for the murder.

Parading the suspects at the Command Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, the State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, described them as gang of hardened criminals who are not only involved in ritual killings but also deal in large sale of human parts.

According to Alamutu, on January 9, 2024, DPO of Onipanu Divisional headquarters of the Nigeria Police in Atan-Ota received the report of a missing 35-years-old Sulaimon Adijat.

The deceased was said to be invited on a date by one Adebayo Olawale Azeez of Ajegunle road, Atan Ota, (now at large).

It was gathered that Adijat, who worked as a security guard at Canaan Land, Sango Ota, received a call after she got back from work.

She said: “I ‘m coming” to the caller and then told her sister that she was going to Atan in Ota.

The CP revealed that consequently, a tactical team of the police, specifically the Anti Kidnapping Unit of the Command was drafted to unravel the mystery behind her disappearance.

According to the Commissioner, “The investigation revealed that on 19th November, 2023, one Sherifff Agbai ‘m’, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ contacted Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ a.k.a Oluwo Mandela to perform money ritual known as ‘Oshole’ that can produce Two Hundred Million naira within seven days,” 

“Oluwo Samuel Monday charged the duo of Sherifff Agbai ‘m’, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ the sum of Eight Hundred thousand naira (#800,000) and agreed to prepare the materials for the money ritual. 

“Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ in furtherance of his criminal intention later contacted one Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ who was not new in the trade of human parts, to source for a lady between the age of 18yrs to 20yrs in order to deliver her mutilated body parts, specifically the head, two breast, virginal and her two wrists that will be used for money ritual. 

“Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ who is an acclaimed Prophet of a white garment church located in Ibadan, Oyo state, contacted another colleague of his, one Prophet Jamiu Yusuf ‘m’ a,k.a Eri Mose in Lagos state, who is notorious in the supply of human parts for ritual purpose. 

“Prophet Jamiu Yusuf further contacted one Abidemi Moses ‘m’ a.k.a. Asela, who is a herbalist at Atan Ota, Ogun State. Abidemi Moses ‘m’ requested for the sum of Six Hundred thousand naira to get a lady that can be used for the money ritual 

“Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ negotiated for the sum of three hundred thousand naira for the human body parts. Abidemi Moses ‘m’ is a herbalist and he serves as an apprentice to one Adebayo Olawale Azeez ‘m’, now at large, to harvest human parts for sale, a business he has enjoyed the proceeds for the past three years. 

“Hence, on 9th January, 2024, Adebayo Olawale Azeez ‘m’ invited one Sulaiman Adijat ‘f’ on a date to Sunshine hotel, Atan Ota, and she was later taken to Abidemi Moses shrine at Igbo Olomi area of Atan Ota, Ogun State 

“She was killed by Abidemi Moses ‘m’ and others now at large, and her dismembered body parts were taken to Abidemi Moses’ house at Atan Ota to meet Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ and Prophet Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ who were waiting for the arrival of the body parts 

The CP also disclosed that all the arrested suspects confessed to the alleged crime and their individual roles.

According to him, investigation is ongoing to arrest other fleeing suspects and the case will be charged to court as soon as investigation is completed.

Source: Pictures: Prophets, Herbalists, Others Arrested For Killing 35-year-old Lady For Money Rituals

And:

Ogun Police Parade Ritual Syndicate, Including Prophets, Herbalists, for Alleged Abduction and Killing

Source: Crown Images, Naija News

Published:February 16, 2024
By: Shabach Bako – Remo TV, Nigeria

Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Abiodun Alamutu, paraded four suspects, including two herbalists and two prophets, accused of the brutal killing of a 35-year-old woman, Sulaimon Adijat, for money ritual purposes.

The suspects identified as Moses Abidemi, Oluwo Samuel Monday, Prophet Peter Oluwalolese, and Prophet Jamiu Yusuf were presented before newsmen at the Ogun State Police Command’s headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta.

Commissioner Alamutu disclosed that the arrest followed the report of Sulaimon Adijat’s disappearance on January 9, after allegedly receiving a call from a friend, Adebayo Azeez, who invited her on a date. Despite efforts by her family to locate her, her phone was switched off, prompting the police’s anti-kidnapping team to intervene.

Investigations revealed a grim plot orchestrated by the duo of Sherifff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria, who contracted herbalist Oluwo Samuel Monday to perform a money ritual known as ‘Oshole’ promising a return of N200 million within seven days. The herbalist, in turn, enlisted the help of Prophet Peter Oluwalolese and Prophet Jamiu Yusuf to source a lady between 18 and 20 years for the ritual.

Adebayo Azeez, tasked with providing human parts for the syndicate, invited Adijat on a date to a hotel in the Atan area, where she was allegedly killed and her body dismembered in a shrine by Moses Abidemi. The herbalist later burned the body parts in a local pot, subsequently killing a ram to appease Adijat’s soul.

However, complications arose among the syndicate members when the anticipated N200 million from the ritual did not materialize, leading to complaints from Agbai and Alioneitouria.

The police, conducting a search at Abidemi Moses’ shrine, recovered incriminating evidence, including female handbags, gallons containing human parts, an axe, and bags filled with human bones.

Commissioner Alamutu assured the public of continuous updates as the investigation progresses, highlighting the recovered exhibits, including criminal charms, as crucial evidence. The suspects, having confessed to their roles in the crime, will face charges in court upon the completion of the investigation.

Source: Ogun Police Parade Ritual Syndicate, Including Prophets, Herbalists, for Alleged Abduction and Killing

And:

Police parade herbalists, prophets for killing 35-year-old woman for money rituals in Ogun

Published: February 16, 2024
By: John Ogunsemore – The Herald, Nigeria

Two herbalists, Moses Abidemi and Oluwo Samuel Monday, and two prophets of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Prophet Peter Oluwalolese and Prophet Jamiu Yusuf, were on Thursday paraded by the police in Ogun State for killing a 35-year-old woman, Sulaimon Adijat, for money rituals.

Paraded alongside the priests were Akinwunmi Ifatosin, Sherifff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria.

Parading the suspects at the command headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, said the suspects were not only into ritual killings but also dealt in human parts trading on a large scale.

He said the operation that led to the arrest of the suspects started on January 9 when a report was lodged at the Onipanu divisional headquarters in Atan-Ota about the missing Adijat.

Adijat allegedly went missing after going for a date with one Adebayo Olawale Azeez of Ajegunle road, Atan Ota.

The commissioner said the victim’s family made frantic efforts to locate her whereabouts which all proved abortive while her mobile phone was also switched off.

Alamutu said that the command deployed its Anti Kidnapping Unit to unravel the mystery behind Adijat’s disappearance.

He added that a technical-based investigation embarked upon by the unit pointed towards the seven suspects.

Alamutu said, “The investigation revealed that on 19th November, 2023, one Sherifff Agbai ‘m’, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ contacted Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ a.k.a Oluwo Mandela to perform money ritual known as ‘Oshole’ that can produce Two Hundred Million naira within seven days.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday charged the duo of Sherifff Agbai ‘m’, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ the sum of Eight Hundred thousand naira (#800,000) and agreed to prepare the materials for the money ritual.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ in furtherance of his criminal intention later contacted one Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ who was not new in the trade of human parts, to source for a lady between the age of 18yrs to 20yrs in order to deliver her mutilated body parts, specifically the head, two breast, virginal and her two wrists that will be used for money ritual.

“Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ who is an acclaimed Prophet of a white garment church located in Ibadan, Oyo state, contacted another colleague of his, one Prophet Jamiu Yusuf ‘m’ a,k.a Eri Mose in Lagos state, who is notorious in the supply of human parts for ritual purpose.

“Prophet Jamiu Yusuf further contacted one Abidemi Moses ‘m’ a.k.a. Asela, who is a herbalist at Atan Ota, Ogun State. Abidemi Moses ‘m’ requested for the sum of Six Hundred thousand naira to get a lady that can be used for the money ritual.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ negotiated for the sum of three hundred thousand naira for the human body parts. Abidemi Moses ‘m’ is a herbalist and he serves as an apprentice to one Adebayo Olawale Azeez ‘m’, now at large, to harvest human parts for sale, a business he has enjoyed the proceeds for the past three years.

“Hence, on 9th January, 2024, Adebayo Olawale Azeez ‘m’ invited one Sulaiman Adijat ‘f’ on a date to Sunshine hotel, Atan Ota, and she was later taken to Abidemi Moses shrine at Igbo Olomi area of Atan Ota, Ogun State.

“She was killed by Abidemi Moses ‘m’ and others now at large, and her dismembered body parts were taken to Abidemi Moses’s house at Atan Ota to meet Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ and Prophet Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ who were waiting for the arrival of the body parts.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ collected the head, two breasts, virginal, and two wrists and other body parts of the deceased. Oluwo Samuel Monday prepared the body parts in a local pot, and lighted firewood to burn it in Abidemi Moses’s house till the next day.

“Prophet Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ joined Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ to kill the ram that was used to appease the spirit of the deceased during the process of performing money ritual. Prophet Peter Oluwalolese and Prophet Jamiu Yusuf were also given some body parts of the deceased.

“On 10th January, 2024, Sheriff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ collected the money ritual from Oluwo Monday Samuel and travelled back to their location in Edo State.

“Trouble started when Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ used the money ritual element as directed by Oluwo Monday Samuel, and they both complained bitterly that the money ritual failed to yield the expected sum of Two hundred million (#200,000,000) in seven days despite having used if for three weeks.

“A search was conducted in the shrine of Abidemi Moses on the 3rd February, 2024, and ten female handbags, two 25 litres gallons containing human parts, one axe, and two cement sacks containing human bones were recovered from his shrine at Igbo Olomi, Atan Ota.

“The relative of the deceased later came to the police station and identified one of the ten bags that were recovered as the hand bag of their daughter Sulaimon Adijat.”

The commissioner disclosed that efforts were on to apprehend the fleeing suspects.

He noted that the matter would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.

Source: Police parade herbalists, prophets for killing 35-year-old woman for money rituals in Ogun

And:

Police Arrest Prophet, Other Suspects Over Ritual Killing In Ogun
While narrating how they were arrested, the command said it followed the “sudden disappearance” of the deceased which was reported to the DPO of Onipanu on the 9th of January, 2024. 

In this file photo, a police officer hold bunch of handcuffs at SARS headqurters in Abuja on October 3rd, 2020 PHOTO: Sodiq Adelakun/Channels TV

Published: February 16, 2024
By: Emmanuel Egobiambu – Channels TV, Nigeria

Police authorities in Ogun State have arrested seven suspects including a prophet and herbalist over the killing of a lady for ritual purposes.

The Ogun Police Command said this in a late Thursday statement.

“The Commissioner of Police Ogun State Police Command, CP Abiodun Mustapha ALAMUTU today being 15th of February 2024, at the Headquarters in Eleweran Abeokuta paraded seven daredevil persons who were directly involved in the killing of one Sulaimon Aishat ‘f’ 35yrs for ritual purpose,” the statement read.

While narrating how they were arrested, the command said it followed the “sudden disappearance” of the deceased which was reported to the DPO of Onipanu on the 9th of January, 2024.

“Consequently upon the report, the CP gave a matching order to the officer in charge of Anti kidnapping Unit, to unravel the mystery behind her disappearance,” the police said.

“The efforts of the crack detectives from anti-kidnapping paid off as seven suspects who were directly involved in the killing of Sulaimon Adijat were arrested after a technical-based investigation.

“They are:- 1. Moses Abidemi ‘m’ 2. Oluwo Samuel ‘m’ 3. Prophet Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ 4. Akinwunmi Ifatosin ‘m’ 5. Prophet Jamiu Yusuf’s ‘m’ 6. Sherif Agbai ‘m’ 7. Osojieahen Alioneiouria ‘m’. The investigation further revealed that on the 19th of November 2023, Sherif Agbai and Osojeiahen Alioneouria ‘m’ contact Oluwo Samuel Moday to perform a money ritual known as ‘Oshole’ that can produce Two hundred million naira (#200,000,000) within 7 days, and Oluwo Samuel Moday charged them for the sum of Eight hundred thousand (#800,000) and agreed to prepare the materials for ritual.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday in furtherance of his criminal intention later contacted one Peter Oluwalolese who was not new in the trade of human parts, to source for a lady between the ages of 18yrs to 20yrs in order to deliver her mutilated body parts, specifically the head, two breast, private part and her two wrists that will be used for money ritual.

“Peter Oluwalolese who is acclaimed pastor of a white garment church located in Ibadan, Oyo State, also contacted another colleague of his, one Prophet Jamiu Yusuf ‘m’ a.k.a Eri Mose in Lagos State, who is notorious for the supply of human parts for ritual purposes. Prophet Jamiu Yusuf further contacted one Abidemi Moses ‘m’ a.k.a Asela, who is an herbalist at Ata Ota, Ogun State.

“Abidemi Moses requested the sum of six hundred thousand naira to get a lady that can be used for the money ritual. Oluwo Samuel Monday negotiated for the sum of three hundred thousand naira for the human body parts.

“Abidemi Moses is a herbalist and he serves as an apprentice to one Adebayo Olawale Azeez now at large, to harvest human parts for sale, a business he has enjoyed the proceeds for three years. Hence Adebayo Olawale Azeez surreptitiously invited Sulaimon Adijat to Sunshine Hotel, Atan Ota, and she was later taken to Abidemi Moses shrine at Igbi Olomi area of Atan Ota, Ogun State.

“She was killed by Abidemi Moses and others now at large, and her dismembered body parts were taken to Abidemi Moses house at Atan Ota to meet Oluwo Sameul Moday and Prophet Peter Oluwalolese who were waiting for the arrival of the body parts.

“A search was conducted in the shrine of Abidemi Moses on the 3rd of February, 2024, and ten female handbags, two 25 liters gallons containing human parts, one axe, and two cement sacks containing human bones were recovered from his shrine at Igbo Olomi, Atan Ota.

“Meanwhile, all the arrested suspects confessed to the alleged crime and their individual roles, investigation is ongoing to arrest other fleeing suspects and the case will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is completed. Members of the public will be duly updated.”

Source: Police Arrest Prophet, Other Suspects Over Ritual Killing In Ogun

And:

Ogun police arrest prophets, herbalists over 35-years-old woman’s death

Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu

Published: February 15, 2024
By: Taiwo Bankole – Punch. Nigeria

The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, on Thursday, paraded two herbalists, Moses Abidemi and Oluwo Samuel Monday as well as two alleged priests of Cherubim and Seraph Church, Prophet Peter Oluwalolese and Prophet Jamiu Yusuf, over the killing of one Sulaimon Adijat, aged 35, for money ritual purposes.

Also arrested and paraded for the act were Akinwunmi Ifatosin, Sherifff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria, who are both from Uromi in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

Parading the suspects at the Command Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta on Wednesday, the police boss described them as gang of hardened criminals who are not only involved in ritual killings but also deal in large sale of human parts.

Alamutu disclosed that their date with the long hand of the law started on January 9, 2024, when the DPO of Onipanu Divisional headquarters of the Nigeria Police in Atan-Ota received the report of a missing 35-years-old Sulaimon Adijat.

Adijat was said to have been invited out on a date by one Adebayo Olawale Azeez of Ajegunle road, Atan Ota, and since then Adijat has not been seen, despite frantic efforts to locate her whereabout while her mobile phone had been switched off.

The CP revealed that consequently, a tactical team of the police, specifically the Anti Kidnapping Unit of the Command was drafted to unravel the mystery behind her disappearance.

The team was said to have embarked on a technical based investigation, which led to the arrest of the seven suspects, who participated actively in the abduction and eventual murder of the missing Sulaimon Adijat.

Alamutu explained further that “the investigation revealed that on 19th November, 2023, one Sherifff Agbai ‘m’, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ contacted Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ a.k.a Oluwo Mandela to perform money ritual known as ‘Oshole’ that can produce Two Hundred Million naira within seven days. 

“Oluwo Samuel Monday charged the duo of Sherifff Agbai ‘m’, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ the sum of Eight Hundred thousand naira (#800,000) and agreed to prepare the materials for the money ritual. 

“Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ in furtherance of his criminal intention later contacted one Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ who was not new in the trade of human parts, to source for a lady between the age of 18yrs to 20yrs in order to deliver her mutilated body parts, specifically the head, two breast, virginal and her two wrists that will be used for money ritual.

“Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ who is an acclaimed Prophet of a white garment church located in Ibadan, Oyo state, contacted another colleague of his, one Prophet Jamiu Yusuf ‘m’ a,k.a Eri Mose in Lagos state, who is notorious in the supply of human parts for ritual purpose. 

“Prophet Jamiu Yusuf further contacted one Abidemi Moses ‘m’ a.k.a. Asela, who is a herbalist at Atan Ota, Ogun State. Abidemi Moses ‘m’ requested for the sum of Six Hundred thousand naira to get a lady that can be used for the money ritual.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ negotiated for the sum of three hundred thousand naira for the human body parts. Abidemi Moses ‘m’ is a herbalist and he serves as an apprentice to one Adebayo Olawale Azeez ‘m’, now at large, to harvest human parts for sale, a business he has enjoyed the proceeds for the past three years. 

“Hence, on 9th January, 2024, Adebayo Olawale Azeez ‘m’ invited one Sulaiman Adijat ‘f’ on a date to Sunshine hotel, Atan Ota, and she was later taken to Abidemi Moses shrine at Igbo Olomi area of Atan Ota, Ogun State.

“She was killed by Abidemi Moses ‘m’ and others now at large, and her dismembered body parts were taken to Abidemi Moses’s house at Atan Ota to meet Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ and Prophet Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ who were waiting for the arrival of the body parts.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ collected the head, two breasts, virginal, and two wrists and other body parts of the deceased. Oluwo Samuel Monday prepared the body parts in a local pot, and lighted firewood to burn it in Abidemi Moses’s house till the next day. 

“Prophet Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ joined Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ to kill the ram that was used to appease the spirit of the deceased during the process of performing money ritual. Prophet Peter Oluwalolese and Prophet Jamiu Yusuf were also given some body parts of the deceased. 

“On 10th January, 2024, Sheriff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ collected the money ritual from Oluwo Monday Samuel and travelled back to their location in Edo State. 

“Trouble started when Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ used the money ritual element as directed by Oluwo Monday Samuel, and they both complained bitterly that the money ritual failed to yield the expected sum of Two hundred million (#200,000,000) in seven days despite having used if for three weeks.

“A search was conducted in the shrine of Abidemi Moses on the 3rd February, 2024, and ten female handbags, two 25 litres gallons containing human parts, one axe, and two cement sacks containing human bones were recovered from his shrine at Igbo Olomi, Atan Ota. 

“The relative of the deceased later came to the police station and identified one of the ten bags that were recovered as the hand bag of their daughter Sulaimon Adijat.”

Meanwhile, the CP has said that all the arrested suspects confessed to the alleged crime and their individual roles. 

According to him, investigation is ongoing to arrest other fleeing suspects and the case will be charged to court as soon as investigation is completed.

Source: Ogun police arrest prophets, herbalists over 35-years-old woman’s death

And:

Police arrest two ‘prophets’, others for killing woman for money ritual in Ogun

Published: February 16, 2014
By: TG News, Nigeria

Police in Ogun State have arrested two self-acclaimed prophets of white garment churches and five other persons for allegedly killing and dismembering the body of a 35-year-old woman, Adijat Sulaimon, for money ritual in Atan-Ota.

The suspects who are: Moses Abidemi; Oluwo Samuel Monday; Prophet Peter Oluwalese; Akinwunmi Ifatosin; Prophet Jamiu Yusuf; Sheriff Agbai and Osojieahen Alionetouria, were all paraded at the Police Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta.

They were arrested following a report of a missing person on January 9, 2024 by the DPO of Onipanu Divisional Headquarters that one Adebayo Olawale Azeez invited the victim out on a date and since then she had yet to return as her mobile phone was switched off and her whereabouts remain unknown.

On receiving the information, a tactical team of the Anti Kidnapping Unit of the Command were sent out on a technical based investigation to unravel the mystery behind the cause of disappearance which led to the arrest of the seven (7) suspects that participated actively in the abduction and murder of the deceased.

Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alamutu, while parading the suspects at the Police Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, said that the suspects killed and dismembered the body of the victim for ‘Oshole’ money ritual that can produce N200,000, 000 within a week.

Alamutu explained that the duo of Agabai and Alioneitouria contacted Oluwo to perform money ritual for them that could produce N200M within seven days and Oluwo charged both of the N800,000 for the ritual work and promise them he would also provide materials for the work.

He explained further that Oluwo later contacted Oluwalolese, to get him a woman between the age of 18 to 20 whose party of the body including the head, two breast, virginal and her two wrists which will be used for money ritual.

The CP went on that Oluwalolose from a white garment church in Ibadan, Oyo State, who later contacted Yusuf another white garment prophet from Lagos State popularly known as Eri Mose, asking him if he could help to get a woman whose party of her body would be use for the money ritual.

He said Yusuf contacted Abidemi, an herbalist from Atan-Ota, Ogun State, who demanded N600,000 before he could deliver a woman for the mutilated body parts and Yusuf negotiated the body materials to N300,000 which Abidemi agreed and called his apprentice Azeez to harvest human parts for him.

Alamutu said that Azeez, now at large, went ahead to do the harvest human parts which he uses as livelihood for the past three years and lured the victim out of her house on January 9 to an hotel at Atan-Ota, from where they headed to Abidemi shrine in Olomi area where she was killed by Abidemi and others now on the run and her dismembered body were taken to Oluwo.

He said “Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ collected the head, two breasts, virginal, and two wrists and other body parts of the deceased. Oluwo Samuel Monday prepared the body parts in a local pot, and lighted firewood to burn it in Abidemi Moses’s house till the next day. Prophet Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ joined Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ to kill the ram that was used to appease the spirit of the deceased during the process of performing money ritual. Prophet Peter Oluwalolese and Prophet Jamiu Yusuf were also given some body parts of the deceased. On 10th January, 2024, Sheriff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ collected the money ritual from Oluwo Monday Samuel and travelled back to their location in Edo State.

“Trouble started when Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ used the money ritual element as directed by Oluwo Monday Samuel, and they both complained bitterly that the money ritual failed to yield the expected sum of Two hundred million (#200,000,000) in seven days despite having used it for three weeks. A search was conducted in the shrine of Abidemi Moses on the 3rd February, 2024, and ten female handbags, two 25 litres gallons containing human parts, one axe, and two cement sacks containing human bones were recovered from his shrine at Igbo Olomi, Atan Ota.

“The relative of the deceased later came to the police station and identified one of the ten bags that were recovered as the hand bag of their daughter Sulaimon Adijat.” he added

Meanwhile, all the arrested suspects confessed to the alleged crime and their individual roles. Investigation is ongoing to arrest other fleeing suspects and the case will be charged to court as soon as investigation is completed.”

Exhibits recovered from them includes :
One axe, ten female hand bags, local pots, one wooden box containing money ritual, two bags containing human bones and parts, two gallons containing human parts, and charms

Source: Police arrest two ‘prophets’, others for killing woman for money ritual in Ogun

And:

Police nab ritualists for murdering lady to make N200m in 7 days in Ogun

Published: February 16, 2024
By: Kehinde Okeowo – The Niche, Nigeria

Police said the suspects were caught with a human heart and two kegs filled with human bodies. 

By Kehinde Okeowo

A seven-man gang that specializes in killing and selling human parts for rituals have been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command.

This was revealed on Thursday by the State Police Commissioner, Abiodun Olamutu, who claimed the suspects were caught with a human heart and two kegs filled with human bodies.

The men in police custody include Moses Abidemi, Oluwo Monday, Prophet Peter Akiwunmi Ifatosin, Jamiu Yusuf, Sheriff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitoura.

According to the CP, it all started when the Divisional Police Office, Onipanu, received a report on January 9, that a lady identified as Ms Sulaiimon Adijat who was invited out on a date by one Adebayo Azeez was missing. 

Olamutu added: “Despite frantic efforts to locate her whereabouts, her 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.”

He went on to say 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.

“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 age of 18 and 20 years,” he added.

The Police boss further claimed that 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 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 200 million in seven days.

“A search was conducted in the shrine of Moses on Feb. 3 and 10, where female handbags, two cement sacks containing human bones were recovered,” he said.

Source: Police nab ritualists for murdering lady to make N200m in 7 days in Ogun

And:

Ogun: 2 Herbalists, Others Arrested For Killing 35-Year-Old Woman for Money Ritual

Published: February 16, 2024
By: New Telegraph, Nigeria

Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested two herbalists and two self- acclaimed priests of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church for allegedly killing a 35-year-old woman, Sulaimon Adijat for money ritual purposes. The suspects: Moses Abidemi, Oluwo Samuel Mon- day, Peter Oluwalolese and Jamiu Yusuf allegedly killed Adijat and dismembered her body.

The suspects were paraded before journalists by the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, at the command’s headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta on Wednesday. Also arrested and paraded for crime were: Akinwunmi Ifatosin, Sheriff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria who are both from Uromi in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

Parading the suspects, Alamutu described them as gang of hardened criminals who are not only involved in ritual killings, but also deal in large sale of human parts. Alamutu disclosed that the suspects were arrested following a missing person report of the victim lodged at Onipanu Divisional headquarters of the Nigeria Police in Atan-Ota on January 9.

The deceased was said to have been invited out on a date by one of them and since then Adijat has not been seen, despite frantic efforts to locate her whereabouts, while her mobile phone had been switched off. The police boss revealed that consequently, a tactical team of the police, specifically the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Command was drafted to unravel the mystery behind her disappearance.

The team was said to have embarked on a technical based investigation, which led to the arrest of the seven suspects who participated actively in the abduction and eventual murder of the missing Sulaimon Adijat. Alamutu explained further that: “The investigation revealed that on 19th November, 2023, one Sherifff Agbai, and Osojieahen Alionei- touria contacted Oluwo Samuel Monday a.k.a Oluwo Mandela to perform money ritual known as ‘Oshole’ that can produce Two Hundred Million naira within seven days.”

Source: Ogun: 2 Herbalists, Others Arrested For Killing 35-Year-Old Woman for Money Ritual

and:

Ogun: Two Herbalists, Others Arrested For Killing 35-Year-Old Woman For Money Ritual

Suspects

Published: February 15, 2024
By: Olufemi Adediran – New Telegraph, Nigeria

The operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested two herbalists and two self-acclaimed priests of Cherubim and Seraph Church for allegedly killing a 35-year-old woman, Sulaimon Adijat for a money ritual.

The suspects: Moses Abidemi, Oluwo Samuel Monday, Peter Oluwalolese and Jamiu Yusuf allegedly killed Adijat and dismembered her body parts.

The suspects were paraded before journalists by the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu at the command’s headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta on Wednesday.

Also arrested and paraded for crime were: Akinwunmi Ifatosin, Sherifff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria who are both from Uromi in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

Parading the suspects, Alamutu described them as a gang of hardened criminals who are not only involved in ritual killings but also deal in large sales of human parts.

Alamutu disclosed that the suspects were arrested following a missing person report of the victim lodged at Onipanu Divisional headquarters of the Nigeria Police in Atan-Ota on January 9.

The deceased was said to have been invited out on a date by one and since then Adijat has not been seen, despite frantic efforts to locate her whereabouts while her mobile phone had been switched off.

The police boss revealed that consequently, a tactical team of the police, specifically the Anti Kidnapping Unit of the Command was drafted to unravel the mystery behind her disappearance.

The team was said to have embarked on a technical-based investigation, which led to the arrest of the seven suspects who participated actively in the abduction and eventual murder of the missing Sulaimon Adijat.

Alamutu explained further that “the investigation revealed that on 19th November 2023, one Sheriff Agbai, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria contacted Oluwo Samuel Monday a.k.a Oluwo Mandela to perform money ritual known as ‘Oshole’ that can produce Two Hundred Million naira within seven days.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday charged the duo of Sherifff Agbai ‘m’, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ the sum of Eight Hundred thousand naira (N800,000) and agreed to prepare the materials for the money ritual.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday in furtherance of his criminal intention later contacted one Peter Oluwalolese who was not new in the trade of human parts, to source for a lady between the age of 18yrs to 20 years in order to deliver her mutilated body parts, specifically the head, two breast, virginal and her two wrists that will be used for money ritual.

“Peter Oluwalolese who is an acclaimed Prophet of a white garment church located in Ibadan, Oyo state, contacted another colleague of his, one Prophet Jamiu Yusuf a.k.a Eri Mose in Lagos state, who is notorious in the supply of human parts for ritual purpose.

“Prophet Jamiu Yusuf further contacted one Abidemi Moses a.k.a. Asela, who is a herbalist at Atan Ota, Ogun State. Abidemi Moses requested for the sum of Six Hundred thousand naira to get a lady that can be used for the money ritual.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday negotiated for the sum of three hundred thousand naira for the human body parts. Abidemi Moses ‘m’ is a herbalist and he serves as an apprentice to one Adebayo Olawale Azeez, now at large, to harvest human parts for sale, a business he has enjoyed the proceeds for the past three years.

“Hence, on 9th January 2024, Adebayo Olawale Azeez invited one Sulaiman Adijat on a date to Sunshine Hotel, Atan Ota, and she was later taken to Abidemi Moses shrine at Igbo Olomi area of Atan Ota, Ogun State.

“She was killed by Abidemi Moses and others now at large, and her dismembered body parts were taken to Abidemi Moses’s house at Atan Ota to meet Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ and Prophet Peter Oluwalolese ‘m’ who were waiting for the arrival of the body parts.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday collected the head, two breasts, virginal, and two wrists and other body parts of the deceased. Oluwo Samuel Monday prepared the body parts in a local pot, and lighted firewood to burn it in Abidemi Moses’s house till the next day.

“Prophet Peter Oluwalolese joined Oluwo Samuel Monday ‘m’ to kill the ram that was used to appease the spirit of the deceased during the process of performing money ritual. Prophet Peter Oluwalolese and Prophet Jamiu Yusuf were also given some body parts of the deceased.

“On 10th January, 2024, Sheriff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria ‘m’ collected the money ritual from Oluwo Monday Samuel and travelled back to their location in Edo State.

“Trouble started when Osojieahen Alioneitouri used the money ritual element as directed by Oluwo Monday Samuel, and they both complained bitterly that the money ritual failed to yield the expected sum of Two hundred million (N200,000,000) in seven days despite having used if for three weeks.

“A search was conducted in the shrine of Abidemi Moses on the 3rd February 2024, and ten female handbags, two 25 litres gallons containing human parts, one axe, and two cement sacks containing human bones were recovered from his shrine at Igbo Olomi, Atan Ota.

“The relative of the deceased later came to the police station and identified one of the ten bags that were recovered as the handbag of their daughter Sulaimon Adijat”

Meanwhile, Alamutu has said that all the arrested suspects confessed to the alleged crime and their roles. The investigation is ongoing to arrest other fleeing suspects and the case will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is completed.

Source: Ogun: Two Herbalists, Others Arrested For Killing 35-Year-Old Woman For Money Ritual

And:

Ritualists Nabbed For Allegedly Killing Lady To Make N200m

Published: February 16, 2024
By: Peace Oladapo – New Telegraph, Nigeria

The Ogun State Police Command on Friday said its operatives have busted a seven-man gang that sells human parts for rituals in the state.

Abiodun Olamutu, the State Police Commissioner who confirmed the development claimed that evidence retrieved from the suspects included a human heart and two kegs filled with human parts.

The suspects arrested in connection to the unfortunate incident include Mooses Abidemi, Oluwo Monday, Prophet Peter Akiwunmi Ifatosin, Jamiu Yusuf, Sheriff Agbai, and Osojieahen Alioneitoura.

The police image maker added that on January 9, the Divisional Police Office in Onipanu got a report of a missing lady, Ms Sulaiimon Adijat, who was asked out on a date by one Adebayo Azeez.

He said, “Despite frantic efforts to locate her whereabouts, her 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.

The police chief stated that an investigation found that the suspects were engaging in a money ritual known as ‘Oshole’ in order to generate N200 million within seven days.

“Oluwo Monday charged the duo of Agbai and Alioneitouria N800,000 to prepare the materials for the ritual.

“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 age of 18 and 20 years,” he added.

According to him, Peter was to send the lady’s mutilated body parts, namely the head, two breasts, vagina, and two wrists, for use in the ceremony

“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 200 million in seven days.

“A search was conducted in the shrine of Moses on Feb. 3 and 10, where female handbags, and two cement sacks containing human bones were recovered,” he said.

Source: Ritualists Nabbed For Allegedly Killing Lady To Make N200m

And:

Police arrest prophets, herbalists over abduction, killing

Published: February 16, 2024
By: Vincent Osuwo – Chronicle, Nigeria

Two herbalists, Moses Abidemi and Oluwo Samuel Monday, as well as two alleged prophets of Cherubim and Seraph Church, Prophet Peter Oluwalolese and Prophet Jamiu Yusuf, have been paraded by the police over the brutal killing of one Sulaimon Adijat, aged 35, for money ritual purposes.

The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, disclosed this while parading the suspects before newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, the state’s capital, on Thursday.

The police chief stated that the arrest of the suspects came after a lady, Sulaiman Adijat, was reported missing to the Onipanu Division of the police on January 9 after she allegedly received a call from a friend, Adebayo Azeez, who invited her on a date.

The police chief revealed that her family’s desperate efforts to trace her whereabouts have failed since her phone was turned off. When the police received the information, they dispatched an anti-kidnapping unit to investigate Adijat’s disappearance.

He stated that after a probe into the incident, the police learned that she was reportedly killed by a ritual syndicate hired by Sheriff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitouria to execute a money ritual for N200 million.

Alamutu said, “Investigation revealed that on November 19, 2023, one Sherifff Agbai,’m’, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria,’m’, contacted Oluwo Samuel Monday,’m’, a.k.a. Oluwo Mandela, to perform a money ritual known as ‘Oshole’ that can produce N200m within seven days, and Oluwo Samuel Monday charged the duo of Sherifff Agbai,’m’, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria,’m’, the sum of N800,000 and agreed to prepare the materials for the money ritual.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday,’m’, in furtherance of his criminal intention, later contacted one Peter Oluwalolese,’m’, who was not new in the trade of human parts, to source for a lady between the ages of 18 and 20 years to deliver her mutilated body parts, specifically the head, two breasts, virginal, and her two wrists that will be used for money ritual.

“Peter Oluwalolese’m’, who is an acclaimed prophet of a white garment church located in Ibadan, Oyo State, contacted another colleague of his, one Prophet Jamiu Yusuf’m’, a.k.a. Eri Moses, in Lagos State, who is notorious for the supply of human parts for ritual purposes.  Prophet Jamiu Yusuf further contacted one Abidemi Moses’m’ a.k.a. Asela, an herbalist at Atan Ota, Ogun State.”

Azeez was claimed to have invited Adijat on a date to a hotel in the Atan area after negotiating a payment of N300,000 to provide human parts for the syndicate. However, he was supposed to have taken Adijat to Moses’ shrine, where she was allegedly killed and her body dismembered, before moving to Moses’ residence, where the severed parts were purportedly waiting to be collected.

According to Alamutu, Oluwo took Adihjat’s bodily parts and burned them in a local pot before killing a ram to placate his soul.

However, conflict was said to have broken out among the syndicates when Agbai and Alioneitouria began grumbling that the ritual did not produce the desired results after they had completed the herbalists’ prescribed sacrifices. They were alleged to have regretted that the N200 million they intended to get from the ritual did not materialise.

The CP added, “A search was conducted in the shrine of Abidemi Moses on February 3, 2024, and ten female handbags, two 25-litre gallons containing human parts, one axe, and two cement sacks containing human bones were recovered from his shrine at Igbo Olomi, Atan Ota. The relative of the deceased later came to the police station and identified one of the 10 bags that were recovered as the handbag of their daughter, Sulaimon Adijat.”

The police commissioner stated that the apprehended suspects, Moses Abidemi, Oluwo Samuel Monday, Peter Oluwalolese, Akinwunmi Ifatosin, Prophet Jamiu Yusuf, Sheriff Agbai, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria, admitted to their roles in the crime.

“Meanwhile, all the arrested suspects confessed to the alleged crime and their roles. The investigation is ongoing to arrest other fleeing suspects, and the case will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is completed. Members of the public will be duly updated.

The exhibits recovered from the suspects are one axe, ten female handbags, three local pots, one wooden box containing money rituals, two Bagco bags containing human bones and human parts, two gallons containing human parts, criminal charms, the crown and staff of Oba Isegun Zone 1, Atan Ota, Ogun State, and the crown and staff of Oluwo Masote of Ifo Zone, Ogun State,” Alamutu said.

Source: Police arrest prophets, herbalists over abduction, killing

And:

Police arrest 7 suspected ritualists, recover human heart

Published: February 16, 2024
By: Kalu Idika – News Band, Nigeria

Police authorities in Ogun State on Thursday, arrested a seven-man gang that allegedly specialised in trading inhuman parts for rituals.

Mr Abiodun Olamutu, the commissioner of police said that a human heart and two kegs filled with human bodies were parts of exhibits recovered from the suspects.

The suspects include Moses Abidemi, Oluwo Monday, Prophet Peter Akiwunmi Ifatosin, Jamiu Yusuf, Sheriff Agbai and Osojieahen Alioneitoura, Alamutu said.

Alamutu said the Divisional Police Office, Onipanu, received a report of a missing lady, Ms Sulaiimon Adijat on Jan. 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 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 age of 18 and 20 years.

The CP said Peter was to deliver the lady’s mutilated body parts, specifically the head, two breasts, virginal and two wrists that would be used for the ritual.

“However, on Jan. 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 200 million in seven days.

”A search was conducted in the shrine of Moses on Feb. 3 and 10, where female handbags, two cement sacks containing human bones were recovered.”

The CP said that all the suspects confessed to the alleged crime and their individual roles.

He said that investigation was ongoing to arrest other fleeing suspects.

Source: Police arrest 7 suspected ritualists, recover human heart

And:

Police arrest 2 pastors, 5 others with human parts in Ogun

Published: February 16, 2024
By: Según Ojo – The Star, Nigeria

The operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested two pastors and five other suspects who specialised in trading human parts for rituals in the state.

The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, on Thursday, February 15, 2024, disclosed that a human heart and two kegs filled with human bodies were parts of exhibits recovered from the suspects.

The suspects arrested were Moses Abidemi, Oluwo Samuel, Prophet Peter Oluwalolese, Akinwunmi Ifatosin, Prophet Jamiu Yusuf, Sherif Agbai, and Osojieahen Alioneiouria.

Parading the arrested suspects at the police headquarters in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Alamutu said they were involved in the killing of a 35-year-old woman, Sulaimon Adijat, for a ritual purpose.

He said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Onipanu, on January 9, received a report about the sudden disappearance of Adijat who was invited out on a date by one Adebayo Azeez in the Atan Ota area of Ogun State.

The police commissioner stated that since then Adijat had not been seen despite frantic efforts to locate her whereabouts, adding that her mobile phone had been switched off since the day she was reported missing.

Alamutu said upon the report, he gave a matching order to the officer in charge of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit to unravel the mystery behind the woman’s disappearance.

He added: “The efforts of the crack detectives from Anti-Kidnapping paid off as seven suspects who were directly involved in the killing of Sulaimon Adijat were arrested after a technical-based investigation.

“Investigation further revealed that on the 19th November 2023, Sherif Agbai and Osojeiahen Alioneouria ‘m’ contacted Oluwo Samuel Monday to perform a money ritual known as ‘Oshole’ that can produce N2 million within seven days, and Oluwo Samuel Monday charged them for the sum of N800,000 and agreed to prepare the materials for ritual.

“Oluwo Samuel Monday in furtherance of his criminal intention later contacted one Peter Oluwalolese who was not new in the trade of human parts, to source for a lady between the age of 18 years to 20 years in order to deliver her mutilated body parts, specifically the head, two breast, private part and her two wrists that will be used for money ritual.

“Peter Oluwalolese who is acclaimed pastor of a white garment church located in Ibadan, Oyo State, also contacted another colleague of his, one Prophet Jamiu Yusuf a.k.a Eri Mose in Lagos State, who is notorious for the supply of human parts for ritual purpose.

“Prophet Jamiu Yusuf further contacted one Abidemi Moses a.k.a Asela, who is an herbalist at Ata Ota, Ogun State.

“Abidemi Moses requested the sum of N600,000 to get a lady that can be used for the money ritual. Oluwo Samuel Monday negotiated for the sum of N300,000 for the human body parts. Abidemi Moses is a herbalist and he serves as an apprentice to one Adebayo Olawale Azeez now at large, to harvest human parts for sale, a business he has enjoyed the proceeds for three years.

“Hence Adebayo Olawale Azeez surreptitiously invited Sulaimon Adijat to Sunshine Hotel, Atan Ota, and she was later taken to Abidemi Moses shrine at Igbi Olomi area of Atan Ota, Ogun State. She was killed by Abidemi Moses and others now at large, and her dismembered body parts were taken to Abidemi Moses’ house at Atan Ota to meet Oluwo Sameul Moday and Prophet Peter Oluwalolese who were waiting for the arrival of the body parts.

“A search was conducted in the shrine of Abidemi Moses on the 3rd of February, 2024, and ten female handbags, two 25 litres gallons containing human parts, one axe, and two cement sacks containing human bones were recovered from his shrine at Igbo Olomi, Atan Ota.”

The police commissioner disclosed that all the arrested suspects confessed to the alleged crime and their individual roles, noting that an investigation was ongoing to arrest other fleeing suspects.

Alamutu said the case will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation.

Source: Police arrest 2 pastors, 5 others with human parts in Ogun

Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Nigeria: “Ritual killings are the most disturbing trend of criminal activity in the state”

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.

Source: Ritual Killings: Police lament over disturbing trend in Ogun

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.

Source: Ogun police arrest two over killing of OAU student for ritual

Map of Nigeria showing Ogun State among the 36 states of the Federation

At least 15 ritual murders in Ogun State (Nigeria) in 2023 

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.

(…)

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
(…)

(…)

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.”

Source: 2023, the Year Criminals Held Ogun to Ransom

Map of Nigeria showing Ogun State among the 36 states of the Federation

South Africa: employees blow whistle on ritual murder by bosses ‘to promote business’ (2006 case)

A chilling account of a ritualistic murder by unscrupulous businessmen who wanted to promote their businesses. In this case, justice delayed has not resulted in ‘justice denied’. A triumph for the rule of law in South Africa.

‘Better late than never’.

Warning: the following article contains graphic details which may upset some readers (webmaster FVDK)

Employees blow whistle on ritual murder by bosses ‘to promote business’

A witness says he came forward 16 years later because he suffered from nightmares and would hear voices.

From left Joshua Hlako, Marcus Makgatho, Amanda Makgatho and Khumbelo Mabirimisa who have been sentenced for the murder of Ronny Makgatho. 
Image: Suppied: NPA

Published: November 2, 2023
By: Shonisani Tshikalange, TimesLIVE – South Africa

Two Limpopo businessmen and their accomplices have been jailed after their employees testified how a man was kidnapped, his body dismembered, packed and taken to various businesses to “promote their prosperity”.

The victim, Ronny Makgatho, was taken from Soshanguve to Limpopo in 2006 for the ritual murder.

The Polokwane high court has now convicted and sentenced the two businessmen, Joshua Phuthi Hlako and Marcus Maropeng Makgatho, and their co-accused, Amanda Makgatho and Khumbelo Mabirimisa.

Judge Gerrit Muller sentenced Hlako, Marcus Makgatho and Mabirimisa to 22 years’ imprisonment for murder, seven years for kidnapping and four years for defeating the ends of justice. The female accomplice was sentenced to seven years direct imprisonment for kidnapping.

The National Prosecuting Authority said Ronny Makgatho was killed in Seshego by Hlako and Amanda Makgatho with their co-accused Mabirimisa, after being abducted in Soshanguve.

Hlako had transport, farming and sale of liquor businesses. Marcus Makgatho was in hospitality.

Ronny Makgatho was Amanda and Marcus’s cousin.

During the trial, the court heard that the first state witness, who was testifying in return for indemnity from prosecution under section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act, had reported the crime after 16 years.

“He testified that he worked for businessman Hlako since 2001 and that all that he was directed to do [participating in the ritual murder] formed part and parcel of his duties. This was put to him to establish why he never reported this matter to the police. He testified that the reason is that his employer Hlako is connected to the SAPS in Seshego, and he was scared that what happened to the deceased could happen to him, an assertion that was never challenged by Hlako,” said NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malabi Dzhangi.

The witness said when he approached the police to report the offence, his fear was confirmed as he was detained, she said. No charges were subsequently levelled against him and he was released. He felt he could not make further attempts to report his boss as he feared the police.

“He was adamant that he was part of the team, and he did it under the instructions of his boss Hlako. He decided later to tell the truth because he suffered from nightmares and would also hear voices.” 

Malabi Dzhangi said a second witness also worked for Hlako.

“Both witnesses testified that on the day of the incident, they were with Hlako, Marcus, Mabirimisa and an unknown lady. Knives were brought into the shack, and Hlako was giving instructions.”

One of the group was instructed to write Ronny’s name in a notebook before they killed him in a shack at Hlako’s homestead.

“The body of the deceased was dismembered, packed and taken to various businesses to promote the prosperity of the business,” she said.

In aggravation of sentence, advocate Kobus Jacobs said the actions of the accused affected the lives of the deceased’s family, relatives, and friends.

The NPA has welcomed the sentence which director of public prosecutions advocate Ivy Thenga said would send a strong message to ritual murderers that the justice system will not tolerate any form of violence against humankind.

The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently with the sentence of murder.

Source: Employees blow whistle on ritual murder by bosses ‘to promote business’

More:

Spilling the beans: workers disclose ritual murder where a man was killed and cut up to boost business

Published: November 2, 2023
By: Jonisayi Maromo, Independent Online (IOL)

Source: Spilling the beans: workers disclose ritual murder where a man was killed and cut up to boost business

Wassa Nkyirifi, Western Region, Ghana: man kills 7-year-old niece for money rituals

Another gruesome murder for ritual purposes, based on superstition and ruthlessness. An innocent small girl lost her life for a ‘money ritual’. This time it happened in Ghana.

It’s a sad story.

Warning: The articles may upset readers for their graphic contents (FVDK)

Wassa Nkyirifi: Man kills 7-year-old niece for money rituals

Wassa Nkyirifi: Man kills 7-year-old niece for money rituals. The suspect in white shirt at the scene where the body was exhumed on Friday morning

Published: August 4, 2023
By: Dotsey Koblah Aklorbortu – Graphic Online

Residents of Wassa Nkyirifi, a farming community in the Western Region woke up on Friday morning to the horror of a suspected murder of a seven-year-old girl by her uncle for money ritual purpose.

After allegedly killing and burying the body in a nearby bush, the suspect, identified only as Augustine, a 37-year-old farmer reported to the police that his niece had gone missing.

The 7-year-old victim has been identified as Sandy Manu.

The suspect then went further to make public announcements on radio asking for help to locate his niece.

The police in the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal area however, suspected foul play because of Augustine’s responses to the questions and why he was desperately concerned about the missing young girl.

Augustine’s body language, his responses and his eventual exhibition that he was terrified according to a police source, prompted an intense interrogation by the police during which he burst into tears.

According to the police source, he then confessed that he had killed the niece for money ritual so he could evade poverty.

He is said to have told the police that, he complained about poverty to one elderly man in the Wassa Nkyirifi community and the elderly man told him to use one of his many nieces for money rituals.

Upon meditation, he went to see a spiritualist the next day to help him go through the process of money rituals.

The suspect said the spiritualist then told him to bring human head – that is the head of one of his nieces.

From there, he went in for Sandy and killed her.

After killing and beheading her, he buried the headless body and concealed the head for the process.

He then led the police to the nearby bush where the headless body was buried and the body was exhumed.

The head was also retrieved from another location.

The body has since been deposited at the morgue and the suspect is currently in police custody.

A video from the scene where the body was exhumed has been shared on social media by some of the community members.

Source: Wassa Nkyirifi: Man kills 7-year-old niece for money rituals

Also:

Man allegedly kills 7-year-old niece for money rituals

Published: August 5 2023
By: Myjoyonline, Ghana

Residents of Wassa Nkyirifi, a farming community in the Western Region, woke up on Friday morning to the horror of a suspected murder of a seven-year-old girl by her uncle.

After allegedly killing and burying the body in a nearby bush, the suspect, identified only as Augustine, a 37-year-old farmer reported to the police that his niece had gone missing.

The suspect then went further to make public announcements on the radio asking for help to locate his niece.

The police in the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal area, however, suspected foul play because of Augustine’s responses to their questions and how he was desperately concerned about the missing young girl.

Augustine’s body language, his responses and his eventual exhibition that he was terrified according to a police source, prompted an intense interrogation during which he burst into tears.

According to the police source, he then confessed that he had killed the niece for money ritual so he could evade poverty.

The seven-year-old victim has been identified as Sandy Manu.

The suspect is said to have told the police that, he complained about poverty to one elderly man in the Wassa Nkyirifi community. The elderly man advised him to use one of his many nieces for money rituals.

Upon meditation, he allegedly went to see a spiritualist the next day to help him go through the process of money rituals.

The suspect said the spiritualist then told him to bring a human head. From there, he went in for Sandy and murdered her.

After killing and beheading her, he reportedly buried the headless body and concealed the head in the process.

The suspect then led the police to the nearby bush where the headless body was buried and the body was exhumed.

The head was also retrieved from another location. The body has since been deposited at the morgue and the suspect is currently in police custody.

Meanwhile, a video from the scene where the body was exhumed has been shared on social media by some of the community members.

Source: Man allegedly kills 7-year-old niece for money rituals

Also:

Man arrested for allegedly killing niece for money rituals
Published: August 10, 2023
By: Ghana Web

Western Region – Ghana (Source: Wikipedia)

Nigeria: human eaters… end of the road – the 2019 Favour Daley-Oladela ritual murder case

The murder for ritual purposes of Favour Daley-Oladela in 2019 led to much unrest as well as a wave of articles on the terror of so-called ‘money rituals’ in Nigeria. For briefness sake I may refer here to my posting of January 9, 2020 ‘A selection of articles on the ritual murder of Favour Daley-Oladele, Nigeria’.

As a reminder I will recall what basically happened on the fateful day in December 2019 when the innocent university student was brutally murdered. Favour Daley-Oladele, a final year student of Lagos State University (LASU), was murdered and partly cannibalized for a ritualistic motive, a ‘money ritual’, by her boyfriend Owolabi Adeeko, aided by Philip Segun, a white garment church pastor and his mother, Mrs. Bola Adeeko. 

Last month, a High Court found both men guilty of conspiracy and murder and sentenced them to death by hanging for murder (Owolabi Adeeko) and 14 years imprisonment (Philip Segun) for conspiracy. The court also found Bola, Owolabi’s mother, guilty of eating human flesh and sentenced her to two years imprisonment.

Read the full article below. Warning: the article may upset readers because of its shocking and graphic contents.
(FVDK)

Human eaters…end of the road

Published: August 6, 2023
By: Shina Abubakar, Osogbo – Vanguard, Nigeria

The long arm of justice, after three years, finally caught up with killers and eaters of Favour Daley-Oladele, a final year student of Lagos State University, brutally murdered and used for “victory soup” ritual concoction by her boyfriend, Owolabi Adeeko, and a prophet, Segun Philip.

Last month, a High Court found Owolabi and Segun guilty of conspiracy and murder and sentenced them to death by hanging for murder and 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy.

The court also found Bola, Owolabi’s mother, guilty of eating human flesh and sentenced her to two years imprisonment.

Favour, a student of Theatre Arts, was in a final semester and at home to meet her parents before Owolabi put a call to her to meet him, so they could meet his uncle at Ikoyi in Isokan local government area of Osun State.

The deceased, who had attended church service on the day, also spoke with her father who wished her success in her final examinations before setting out on the fateful trip.

Before leaving home on that day, she also informed her mother that she was going back to school but will also be seeing a friend on her way and the mother never knew that the friend would eventually use her for “victory soup” and together with his mother “eat her up for their own good”.

Days after leaving home, Favour’s parents became apprehensive having tried to reach her on phone severally and were not successful, an unusual character, hence, they reached out to her friends in school who told them she had not returned to school.

The parents had to report a missing person at a police station in Mowe, Ogun State.

Meanwhile, Owolabi and Prophet Philip had concluded plans on how to kill the missing girl and butcher her for ritual soup.

She had journeyed all the way from Mowe to Osun and, upon arrival, she was lodged in a hotel in Ikoyi but rather than allow her rest upon complaint of tiredness, the boyfriend urged her to meet his supposed uncle before she would later come back to the hotel for a complete rest.

At a church, which is secluded from the rest of the community, Favour still complained of the need to rest and her boyfriend urged her to enter into the partial wooden building to rest while he and his prophet accomplice concluded their talk before returning to the hotel.

While Owolabi and Segun chatted outside the building they took time to check on the poor lady and having been sure that she was fully asleep, Owolabi took a pestle and smashed it on her head. Thereafter, the prophet cut her opened and took the vital organs needed for the ritual soup.

Arrest

After Favour’s parents reported that she was missing at the police division in Mowe, the Divisional Police Officer assembled a team of detectives to find her.

The team, according to Ogun Police Command spokesperson, tracked her phone to her last destination, hence, the team mounted surveillance in the town and further tracked the last location of the phone to the church where the prophet was arrested.

The cleric informed the police that the deceased was brought to him by Owolabi who was still in the hotel where he lodged. They were both arrested after Christmas in 2019.

‘I lured her to Ikoyi to kill’

After his arrest, Owolabi told police detectives that he lured the victim to Osun under the pretence to meet his uncle and spend more time together.

He added that she travelled down because of the trust she had in him as the victim had not embarked on such journey before that one which eventually was her last.

His confessional statement which was tendered in court “I called Favour on December 8, 2019 to meet me at Ikoyi-Ile so that we could spend time together. She met me at an hotel in the area, but immediately she got there, she started complaining that she was tired and needed to rest.

“I told her that we needed to visit my dad’s younger brother before she would rest. It was a lie. I tricked her into going to the church of Segun. When we got to the church, again, she complained that she wanted to sleep, so, I asked her to go into the church and rest.

“When she slept off, I used a pestle to smash her in the head and she died. After we confirmed she was dead, Pastor Segun slaughtered her and removed the vital organs from her body which he used to prepare concoction for me and my mum to eat.

“Despite what we ate, things have not improved till I was arrested. My mum’s business has not improved after what we did and despite all our efforts. I think the money ritual did not work”.

He added that his mother was not aware of his evil plans and was made to believe that she was eating ritual soup prepared from goat’s organs.

Owolabi agreed to face the consequences of his actions but asserted that punishing his mother would amount to an injustice.

On his part, Segun admitted to cutting the deceased open after her boyfriend had killed her, removed her vital organs to prepare the spiritual meal for mother and son to be victorious of spiritual attacks.

His words also admitted as confession in court: “It is true I slaughtered Favour with a knife. I removed her heart, breasts, and other vital organs so we could use them for rituals. But, I was not the one that smashed her head with a pestle. Owolabi did it.

“We deceived Mrs Adeeko that the concoction was prepared with goat’s organs. She was not aware we used human parts in the concoction I gave her. I prepared the ritual for them because I was broke and I needed money. I demanded N250,000 but was paid N210, 000.

“I was called by God, but I think I have lost the call because of what I did”.

Owolabi’s mother, Bola, said she was not aware a human was killed in a bid for her to overcome her spiritual challenges.

According to her, she was made to believe the concoction she ate was prepared from goat meat.

Exhuming body

Following their arrest and confession, Owolabi and Segun told the police that the remains of Favour were buried in the church building. The entire community was thrown into frenzy when the remains were exhumed from a shallow grave close to the building.

The already decomposing body was packed in a body bag and transported to Ogun State with a view to delivering it to the family after autopsy.

Arraignment

The three suspects were first arraigned before an Osun State Magistrate Court in November 2020 after investigation by the police on two counts of conspiracy and murder.

They were later arraigned before a High Court sitting in Ikire.

The prosecution, led by Adekemi Bello, called nine witnesses during trial to establish conspiracy and murder charges against the suspects who testified for themselves.

At the end of trial, Justice Christiana Obadina found Owolabi and Segun guilty of conspiracy and murder.

She sentenced the Prophet and Owolabi to death by hanging for murder and 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy.

The trial judge also found Bola, Owolabi’s mother, guilty of eating human flesh and sentenced her to two years imprisonment.

Reaction

The Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ile, Oba Yisau Oyetunji, said the community is peaceful and the people peace loving.

He maintained that the killer-prophet is not an indigene of the community.

The monarch stressed that churches should be properly registered with a view to identifying and preventing such horrible incident.

“From my findings, the self-acclaimed pastor is not an indigene of Ikoyi. The fellow who took the lady to the place, his mother and the victim are also not from Ikoyi”, he said.

“My plea to religious leaders and residents of Ikoyi and Osun State in general is to be vigilant. We should take up responsibility to secure our areas.

“If we see any strange faces or movements, we should try and do our findings on them. Our surveillance should not be restricted to strangers alone. We should not be silent on the issue of security. We should report to the police anyone constituting security risk”.

Meanwhile, the sentencing of the killers means a proper closure to a sad tale for Favour’s parents as justice appears to have been served.

Source: Human eaters…end of the road

Nigeria – political map

Zimbabwe: man kills daughter (1), harvests body parts for rituals

For the past few days I’ve been reporting on ritual murders (‘mui murders’) in the kingdom of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). Muti murders are not only known in this tiny kingdom where King Mswati III rules as an absolute monarch. Muti murders are known throughout Southern Africa, It’s a sad reality to write down. Zimabwe’s most notorious murder case which shocked this nation when it occurred, in 2020, and also in following years when increasingly more details became known about the gruesome murder of an innocent 7-year old boy by his uncle and namesake, Tapiwa Makore, is still fresh.

Only very recently the murderers of Tapiwa Makore were sentenced to death, yet another ritual murder became known. We will never know how many ‘muti murders’ are committed in Zimbabwe and elsewhere.

Thomas Muzenda, a 38-years old artisinal miner from Gokwe, Zimbabwe, reportedly killed his one-year old daughter to booster his mining business. He butchered her and chopped up the body to get parts for muti purposes. He then reported her missing to cover up his crime.

Warning: the following may upset readers because of its graphic contents.
(FVDK).

Man killed daughter, 1, to boost artisanal mining business: police

‘The suspect confessed to the police that he killed his daughter with a knife for ritual purposes to allegedly boost his mining activities.

Shocking murder … A one-year-old girl was killed by her father in a “sacrifice”

Published: August 5, 2023
By: ZimLife

….an artisanal miner also confessed to killing his 1-year-old daughter in Gokwe to boost his artisanal mining business….

Meanwhile (…), in another incident (…), an artisanal miner has admitted to killing his daughter who is aged 1 year, 2 months.

Said the police, “On 2 August 2023, police in Gokwe arrested an artisanal miner, Thomas Muzenda, 38, of Village 17 Mupukuta, Chireya Gokwe North, in connection with the callous murder of his daughter, Nenyasha Muzenda, 1 year 2 months, who had been reported missing.

“The suspect confessed to the police that he killed his daughter with a knife for ritual purposes to allegedly boost his mining activities after approaching a traditional healer only identified as Dhumba.

“Police have since recovered the remains of the victim from a disused well at Zenda Mining area, Gokwe North.”

Source: Man killed daughter, 1, to boost artisanal mining business: police

More details:

Man kills daughter (1), harvests body parts for rituals

Published: August 6, 2023
By: Bulawayo 24 News

In a spine chilling ritual murder, a 38-year-old man killed his daughter (1) and chopped up the body to get parts for muti purposes.

Thomas Muzenda, an artisinal miner (umakorokoza) from Gokwe, reportedly butchered Nenyasha Muzenda with a knife, then reported her missing to cover up the grisly offence.

Muzenda was arrested on 2 August 2023.

Without giving much detail, police took to twitter and said, ‘’ On 02/08/23, Police in Gokwe arrested an artisanal miner, Thomas Muzenda (38) of Village 17 Mupukuta, Chireya Gokwe North, in connection with the callous murder of his daughter, Nenyasha Muzenda (1 year 2 months), who had been reported missing.

“The suspect confessed to the police that he killed his daughter with a knife for ritual purposes to allegedly boost his mining activities after approaching a traditional healer only identified as Dhumba. Police have since recovered the remains of the victim from a disused well at Zenda Mining area, Gokwe North,” read the tweet.

Source: Man kills daughter (1), harvests body parts for rituals

More reports on the same muti murder:

Man Kills Daughter(1) To Boost Mining Business

Published: August 7, 2023
By: ZimEye News

A horrifying incident has unfolded in Gokwe, Zimbabwe, as an artisanal miner, Thomas Muzenda (38), has been apprehended by the police for the brutal murder of his one-year-old daughter, Nenyasha Muzenda.

Startling details emerged when Muzenda confessed to the heinous act, revealing that he took the innocent life in a ritualistic act aimed at bolstering his mining endeavours. The sh0cking incident has sent sh0ckwaves through the community, highlighting the desperate lengths some individuals may go to in the pursuit of wealth and success.

The tragic events unfolded when Nenyasha Muzenda was reported missing, prompting a police investigation in Gokwe, a region known for its artisanal mining activities. During questioning, Thomas Muzenda sh0ckingly admitted to authorities that he had murdered his own daughter as part of a ritual intended to enhance his mining business. Allegedly, Muzenda had sought the assistance of a traditional healer named Dhumba, who advised him that such a gruesome act would bring prosperity and success to his mining activities.

Following Muzenda’s confession, the police conducted a search and ultimately discovered the remains of the young victim in a disused well located at the Zenda mining area in Gokwe North. The gruesome find further confirmed the harrowing nature of the crime and left the community in a state of sh0ck and disbelief.

Meanwhile, the police are urging anyone with information regarding the murder of Clemence Mwale (30) to come forward and assist with the investigation. Mwale was fatally attacked by unknown assailants on August 3 in Dzivaresekwa, and the authorities are seeking any leads that could shed light on the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.

The arrest of Thomas Muzenda has sent sh0ckwaves throughout Zimbabwe, prompting a broader conversation about the lengths some individuals may go to in their pursuit of success. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of ethical practices and the need to safeguard vulnerable members of society. – My Zimbabwe News

Source: Man Kills Daughter(1) To Boost Mining Business

AND MORE:

Dad kills daughter to boost mining business
Published: August 7, 2023
By: NewsdzeZimbabwe

Artisanal miner killed daughter for ritual purposes
Published: August 7, 2023
By: The Herald, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe: High Court to deliver ruling in the Tapiwa Makore ritual murder case on June 29

Much has already been said and written about the notorious Tapiwa Makore ritual murder case which shocked Zimbabwe in 2020 and 2021. I have extensively reported on the brutal ritual murder of the 7-year old boy, Tapiwa Makore. See for a succinct overview my postings dated October 26, 2020 and April 25, 2021.

I ceased reporting on this murder case on October 26, 2021 but promised to continue to follow this case and to come back on this place with more news once it will have become available.

In October 2022 the two accused – Tafadzwa Shamba and the late boy’s uncle and namesake Tapiwa Makore Senior – were acquitted in a surprising turn of events. The State withdrew the charges against the two for lack of incriminating evidence.

On June 29, the High Court of Zimbabwe is set to deliver judgement on Tapiwa Makore’s alleged ritual killers. Thereafter the case wil be closed. Hence, read the following report.

For the reader who is less familiar with this notorious ritual murder case I may refer to my two postings mentioned above and to the link included in the article which follows below and which can be accessed separately here as well as after the first article below.

Warning: some readers may be upset because of the graphic description of the Tapiwa Makore ritual murder and following events (webmaster FVDK).

The slain Tapiwa Makore

High Court To Deliver Ruling On Tapiwa Makore’s Alleged Killers On 29 June

Published: June 26, 2023
By: Pindula News, Zimbabwe

The High Court is set to deliver judgement on Tapiwa Makore’s suspected killers on Thursday, reported ZBC News.

Justice Munamato Mutevedzi, who presided over the trial, is expected to hand down the long-awaited judgment, bringing the matter to finality.

The prime suspect in the matter, Tafadzwa Shamba and his accomplice, the late boy’s uncle and namesake, Tapiwa Makore Senior, allegedly killed the boy in 2020 for ritual purposes.

They allegedly killed and mutilated the then seven-year-old boy to boost Tapiwa Snr’s cabbage business.

Tapiwa was a Grade One learner at Nyamutumbu Primary School and his teacher, Keresia Makamure, described him as an intelligent, obedient child whose future was bright.

The boy was sent by his parents to look after the garden on the morning of 17 September 2020.

Later that day, Tapiwa’s parents went to the garden to do some watering and found that their son was missing.

His parents and some villagers started searching for him and the search was conducted until midnight but they could not find him.

On the following day, 18 September, in the morning, a neighbour reportedly woke up and discovered his dog and its puppies feasting on human body parts in his yard.

He then informed Tapiwa’s parents and a report was made to the police. The body’s head was missing.

Several arrests people were arrested in connection with the murder, including Thanks Makore, Tapiwa’s uncle amid allegations that he was given the boy’s head and arms.

Thanks was said to be a twin brother of Tapiwa Makore Snr, and a cousin of Munyaradzi Makore, Tapiwa Makore Jnr’s father.

On 13 October 2022, Justice Mutevedzi formally acquitted Thanks Makore and another suspect Moud Hunidzarira of the murder of Tapiwa Makore Jnr at the close of the prosecution case.

Hunidzarira of Budiriro, Harare, was arrested during the weekend of 31 October and 01 November 2020 following a tip-off by the public.

It was alleged that she was in Murewa when the murder occurred and a few days later was seen by some neighbours in Harare, cleaning an item that had blood.

However, the State withdrew the charges against the two for lack of incriminating evidence.

As the charges were withdrawn after plea, the two can never be retried using any of the evidence led during their trial.

Source: High Court To Deliver Ruling On Tapiwa Makore’s Alleged Killers On 29 June

An important background document on the Tapiwa Makore ritual murder case is the following:

Tapiwa Makore was a 7-year-old boy from Makore Village under Chief Mangwende in Murewa District, Mashonaland East Province who was brutally murdered on 17 September 2020 in a suspected ritual killing. He was the son of Linda Munyori and Munyaradzi Makore

He was a Grade One learner at Nyamutumbu Primary School and his teacher was Keresia Makamure who described him as an intelligent, obedient child whose future was bright.[1]

Contents

Background

Tapiwa Makore Junior was sent by his parents to look after the garden on the morning of 17 September 2020.[2]

Later that day, Tapiwa’s parents went to the garden to do some watering and found that their son was missing.

His parents and some villagers started searching for him and the search was conducted until midnight but they could not find him.

On the following day, 18 September, in the morning, a neighbour reportedly woke up and discovered his dog and its puppies feasting on human body parts in his yard.

He then informed Tapiwa’s parents and a report was made to the police. The body’s head was missing.

Arrests

Herdboy, Tafadzwa Shamba

On 24 September 2020, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) arrested Tafadzwa Shamba (40), on kidnap and murder charges in connection with Tapiwa’s disappearance and murder.[3]

Shamba, a herdboy, was alleged to have connived with two other people to kill Tapiwa, harvest his body parts, and sold them for US$1 500. ZRP spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said:

It is alleged that Tafadzwa Shamba, a herd boy in the same village as the victim, worked with the other suspects to waylay the victim in a garden. They took him to a mountain where they kept him for the whole day. They then killed him at night and one of the other suspects, who is from Juru Growth Point, took away the head leaving the herd boy with the other body parts after promising to give him US$1 500 on coming back.

Police said they recovered the blood-stained clothes Shamba wore on the day he allegedly committed the crime.

Uncle, Tapiwa Makore

Tapiwa’s uncle and namesake, Tapiwa Makore was arrested by the police on 27 September 2020 in connection with the boy’s murder.[4]

Tapiwa Senior was alleged to have worked with Shamba and a witch doctor to murder Tapiwa Junior and harvest his body parts.

Moud Hunidzarira

Moud Hunidzarira of Budiriro, Harare, was arrested during the weekend of 31 October and 01 November 2020 following a tip-off by the public.[5]

It was alleged that Hunidzarira was in Murewa when the murder occurred and a few days later was seen by some neighbours in Harare, cleaning an item that had blood.

She initially appeared before a Murewa magistrate on 02 November 2022 and was remanded in custody.

Two Murewa Villagers

Two Murewa villagers only identified as Mai Mungandire and Mai Katsande were arrested after information gathered revealed they bought human flesh from Shamba.[6]

Another report identified the two women as Joina Tangirire, who sold beer at her homestead, and a relative, Enia Tangirire.

Beulah Makore, the family spokesperson was reported as saying the two women were picked up by the police on 01 November and they both admitted that they bought meat from the alleged killer but had no idea that it was human flesh.

The two women reportedly cooked the meat and ate and were taken to Murewa police station for further questioning and were also ordered to carry the pots that they used to cook the meat.

11-year-old Boy

An 11-year-old boy from Nyamutumbu Village was allegedly paid US$5 to lure Tapiwa from the garden to his uncle’s homestead.[7]

Tapiwa Makore (Snr) allegedly gave the boy $5 plus a T-shirt for his role and warned him against disclosing the matter to other villagers.

The boy is said to have handed over the money to his mother who kept the secret.

The mother is said to have used the money to buy chicken.

He was expected to testify as a witness in the murder trial.

Uncle, Thanks Makore

Thanks Makore (56) was arrested on 10 November 2020 in connection with the ritual murder of his nephew, Tapiwa, amid allegations that he was given the boy’s head and arms.[8]

Thanks was said to be a twin brother of Tapiwa Makore Snr, and a cousin of Munyaradzi Makore, Tapiwa Makore Jnr’s father.

Tafadzwa Shamba’s Confession

On 29 September 2020, Shamba reportedly told detectives he killed the boy by cutting off the head with a knife in the dead of the night, while the boy’s uncle, Tapiwa Senior was holding a torch.[9]

He said after the murder, he carried a black plastic bag containing the head and the dismembered body while his employer, Tapiwa Makore Senior, carried another bag containing the arms and legs.

Shamba also revealed that he kidnapped the boy, took him to his employer’s house, fed him and then drugged him with kachasu and locked him up in a room for hours.

He said around midnight, he carried the boy to a mountain in the village where they killed him.

Shamba said after killing the boy, they went down the mountain and along the way, he dumped the torso near Summer Murwira’s homestead.

He said they took the head to Makore’s homestead where they put it in one of the rooms.

The following day, Shamba said he dumped the arms and legs at a nearby grave.

Tafadzwa Shamba’s Retraction

During his court appearance, Shamba disowned the confession he had allegedly made to the police soon after his arrest.[10]

He claimed that he made indications under duress on how he killed Tapiwa, adding the police had crafted the narration to suit what they wanted.

But High Court Judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi on 10 October 2022 ruled it was clear that Shamba was not forced into giving his account of events. Ruled the judge:

He (Shamba) gave indications under the belief that the second accused wanted him to go to prison so that he could enjoy the benefits of the cabbage deals they intended to benefit from after killing the minor for rituals.

It is the court’s view that his story is preposterous, he wanted to show the court that his indications were rehearsed, but positive results came out from the confessions as it led to the recovery of the body parts. If it was rehearsed the police would not have recovered the body parts.

His explanation that he wanted to exonerate himself by incriminating the second accused does not make sense.

Thinking he was exonerating himself by confessing is stupidity in the highest order, the daftness he tried to show in court was not believable.

Tapiwa’s Burial

Tapiwa was buried on 27 March 2021, about six months after his gruesome murder. He was buried without his head after the police failed to locate it.[11]

His funeral was attended by scores of people who included politicians from ZANU PF, among them Mashonaland East Minister Apollonia Munzverengwi, Housing Minister Daniel Garwe, Chief Mangwende and Murewa senator and ZANU PF Politburo member, David Parirenyatwa.

His father, Munyaradzi, was the MDC Alliance branch chairperson in Murewa North.

Thanks Makore, Moud Hunidzarira Acquittal

On 13 October 2022, High Court judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi formally acquitted Moud Hunidzarira and Thanks Makore of the murder of Tapiwa Makore Jnr at the close of the prosecution case.[12]

The State withdrew the charges against the two for lack of incriminating evidence.

As the charges were withdrawn after plea, the two can never be retried using any of the evidence led during their trial.

However, the prime suspects, who allegedly did the actual killing, Tafadzwa Shamba and Tapiwa Makore Snr, were placed on their defence after the court found there was overwhelming evidence linking them with the murder.

Further Reading

  1.  , Kudzai Chingwe, Boy with United Methodist ties dies in ritual killing, Published 15 October 2020, Retrieved 28 November 2022
  2.  , Victor Maphosa, JUST IN: Boy (7) murdered, body parts missing, Published 21 September 2020, Retrieved 28 November 2022
  3.  , Herald Reporter, Herdboy arrested over Murehwa murder, Published 25 September 2020, Retrieved 28 November 2022
  4.  , Victor Maphosa, JUST IN: Murewa murder: deceased’s uncle picked, Published 28 September 2020, Retrieved 28 November 2022
  5.  , Crime Reporter, Murehwa murder: Woman in court, Published 03 November 2020, Retrieved 28 November 2022
  6.  , Robert Tapfumaneyi, Murewa Villagers Arrested After Buying, Eating Flesh Of Murdered Boy, Published 03 November 2020, Retrieved 28 November 2022
  7.  , Crime Reporter, Boy (11) implicated in Murehwa murder, Published 12 November 2020, Retrieved 28 November 2022
  8.  Another Makore brother arrested over boy’s murderCrime Reporter, Published: 13 November 2020, Retrieved: 13 December 2022
  9.  , Daniel Nemukuyu, Murehwa boy’s killer describes grisly murder, Published 30 September 2020, Retrieved 28 November 2022
  10.  Tapiwa Makore murder trial: Judge trashes prime suspects’ defenceStaff Reporter, Published: 11 October 2022, Retrieved: 13 December 2022
  11.  , Robert Tapfumaneyi, Tapiwa Makore’s Burial Unites Zanu PF, MDC Alliance Politicians, Published 28 March 2021, Retrieved 28 November 2022
  12.  Makore murder: 2 acquitted, 2 face judgmentFidelis Munyoro, Published: 14 October 2022, Retrieved: 13 December 2022
Administrative Divisions of Zimbabwe

Namibia: Kavango’s Winter Ritual Murders

There’s not much reporting on ritual murders in Namibia, yet this ugly phenomenon also exists in this southern African country. Petrus Muronga and Puyeipawa Nakashole are to be commended for their investigative journalism leading to this revealing article about a wave of ritual murders in the upper north-eastern part of the country, in Kavango East. A striking characteristic of the more than 20 ritual murders is that they’re all committed during the winter.

In some murder cases the police have arrested some suspects but the frightened villagers want more action of the government. In the absence of effective and satisfying government action jungle justice threatens. Enough is enough. Who are the culprits? Why is government so slow in responding to this wave of ritual murders?

Warning: the following article contains graphic description of ritual murders,. Readers may be upset reading the shocking details (webmaster FVDK).

Regions of Namibia. Kavango East is situated in the north-eastern part off the country.

Winter time – ritual killing time in Kavango, Namibia

… missing body parts include lips, skin, fingers, toes, eyeballs, internal organs and private parts

RITUAL KILLING … Riaan Mukuve’s mother, Regina Mashodhi Mukuve, says she believes her son was mur- dered for ritual pur-poses as his body was found frozen with missing body parts. About 21 people have gone missing in north- eastern Namibia. Photo: James Jamu

Published: June 11, 2023
By: Petrus Muronga and Puyeipawa Nakashole

n Namibia, as winter dawns, the north-eastern part of the country is about to be shaken by shocking news.

Again.

One more body is found mutilated, much to the horror and heartbreak of the people of the Rudhiva and Shadikongoro villages in the Mukwe constituency.

The villages are situated on the south-eastern banks of the Okavango River in Kavango East.

In this part of the country, people draw their breath beneath the dark clouds of what is believed to be ritual killings. And they all seem to take place in winter.

The unsolved deaths all have one thing in common: missing body parts like lips, skin, fingers, toes, eyeballs, internal organs and private parts.

SHATTERED DREAMS

In 2021, on a trip meant to accompany his friends to the memorial service of a loved one, young Riaan Mukuve (22) did not know this would be his last.

Mukuve was found dead at Rudhiva village with his body mutilated and floating in the Okavango River, north of Divundu, in the Mukwe constituency.

As horrific as it is, Mukuve’s story was nothing new to the villagers in the area.

Regina Mukuve says this image of her son is one she will never forget.

“His lips were cut off, he had no nose, no eyeballs, no organs, and his private parts were missing,” she says.

She describes her son as an ambitious individual who dreamed of completing his studies at the University of Namibia at Rundu and becoming a teacher, like her.

The young Mukuve was a second-year student at the Rundu campus and the family’s only son.

“Something of this kind has never happened before in my family, and nobody understands the pain I am going through. Therefore I want justice to be served for my son.

“His body was frozen, and I believe that he was refrigerated before they disposed of his body in the river,” Regina says.

According to her, eight people were believed to have been the last to be in contact with Mukuve.

They were fined N$20 000 each by the Hambukushu Traditional Authority for their alleged involvement in the young man’s disappearance and death.

However, the police say they are still investigating his case.

“Until today, I have not received anything from them, and they all claim not to have a hand in his disappearance. Until today there is no closure on my son’s death,” Regina says.

MOURNING … Felix Thikundeko’s father, Basilius Thikundeko, holding his son’s trousers. He says his son loved playing soccer and cultural dance.

21 MISSING IN SIX YEARS

A year later, also in June, at the same village, another mutilated body is discovered.

This time that of Felix Thikundenko (17).

Over the past six years, close to 21 people have disappeared at Mukwe.
Some are discovered after a few days, with their bodies dismembered.
Only a few cases have been reported on by the media due to the relationship the local police allegedly has with some media outlets, as well as the constraints of bureaucracy within the police.

Investigations into some of these cases take ages to complete, leading to the family members of the dead losing hope.

A FATHER’S AGONY

Thikundenko’s mutilated body was discovered in a swamp adjacent to the Okavango River near Rudhiva.

The Diyana Combined School pupil had everyone frantic with his mysterious disappearance.

His uncle, Basilius Mbamba, discovered his body in the same area where Mukuve’s body was discovered a year ago.

Mbamba, who was also part of the search team, said the search for Thikudenko started when he did not return home.

He was allegedly last seen at a bar opposite the family’s house.

The area where his body was found was searched a day before he was discovered.

“I miss him. Whenever I see other boys in the village playing soccer, I yearn to see him, but he is gone,” says Thikudenko’s father, Basilius Thikundenko.

He says his son loved sport.

“He used to play soccer, and he was good with our cultural dance group, he even used to do athletics. My son was really talented,” Basilius says.

He was robbed of his closest son, who always used to help him with house chores, he says.

The natural beauty of Kavango East…. but villagers on the south-eastern banks of the Okavango River in Kavango East mourn the loss of their slain dear ones and live in constant fear.

‘NO FREEDOM’

Residents of Rudhiva and Shadikongoro say they live in constant fear.
They claim to have lost their freedom, fearing one of them will become the next body to be found floating in the Okavango River, butchered.
So far, two people have been arrested and charged with Thikudenko’s death, and a third suspect was recently identified.

They are Steven Dengwe (22), Kandere Kavanga (36) and Thidjukwe Muduva (32).

Dengwe and Kavanga have been charged with murder and obstructing the course of justice for allegedly dumping Thikudenko’s body in the river.
They remained in custody after their first court appearance in the Mukwe Periodic Court in July last year, and their case was postponed to 5 October this year for further police investigations.

Muduva made his first court appearance on 5 October last year and was kept in police custody pending laboratory test results.

However, in the accused latest court appearance on 8 December 2022, they were granted bail of N$6 000 each.

WITHOUT A TRACE

Cecilia Kaveto (40) says her mother left their homestead on 30 June 2022 and never returned.

Alfonsine Kamwanga (76) went missing when she went to the river.

Kaveto, a resident of Korokoko village in the Ndonga Linena constituency, says her mother sometimes leaves the house to visit her brother or to collect mangetti fruit or thatched grass.

She says the day Kamwanga left the house was the last day she saw her.

“When we traced her footprints, it looks like she went until the field towards the road leading to the river, and up to the riverbank,” Kaveto says.

At first, she says they thought her mother had fallen into the stream, but they noticed she had proceeded towards the main river, where her prints disappeared.

“We alerted the police on the same day. They only came three days later with a boat and searched the area, but they did not find anything.

“We have been asking ourselves a lot of questions. If she had been killed or snatched by a crocodile, we would have found a piece of evidence. I still don’t know what happened to my mother,” Kaveto says.

SYNDICATE

Mukwe constituency councillor Damian Maghambayi says although there is no evidence that people are being murdered in ritual killings, people are losing lives in his constituency.

He says the issue has been ongoing, especially in the vicinity of Kapako, Rudhiva and Shadikongoro. Maghambayi says more than 21 people have gone missing in mysterious circumstances.

“It is now so serious that community members wanted to take the law into their own hands,” he says.

Maghambayi says there have been several demonstrations by community members petitioning the government on the killings.

Although there are about three police stations and substations in his constituency, the councillor suggests a robust police presence in the area and the need to open up a substation at Shadikongoro.

Affected families and community members are pointing fingers at the police in the area for not doing enough to bring the culprits to book.

Some claim that police officers in the area have been bribed and that they are part of a syndicate.

Thitjo Dinyando, a community activist in the area, believes the killings are spearheaded by business owners, especially shebeen owners, who recruit people to harvest organs to boost their business.

Dinyando also pointed fingers at police officers at Rundu and those working at Mukwe.

No significant investigations are carried out to bring the culprits to book, he says. The police in the region are not keen to talk about the issue.

They say they do not believe the killings are ritual-related.

“Ritual killings at Mukwe are not a joke, and I don’t want to comment on that, because I don’t want people to panic.

“ . . . unless one has to come to us with clear information to give us evidence to follow up and link it to ritual killings,” says Kavango East crime onvestigations coordinator deputy commissioner Bonifasius Kanyetu.

*This article was produced by The Namibian’s investigative unit. Email us news tips from your secure email: investigations@namibian.com.na

Source: Kavango’s Winter Murders