Nigeria: Ogun State police parade 18 suspected criminals including two ritual killers

Warning: the following post contains graphic details which may upset readers

Ogun State has a notorious reputation with respect to ritualistic killings (‘money rituals’). On many occasions in the past I have paid attention to the scourge of ritual related violence in this southwestern state of Nigeria.

Reportedly, there were at least15 victims of ritualistic murders in Ogun State in 2023. In January and February 2024 I published five postings on money-ritual related news – see my posts dated January 2, Ogun State Police to embark on campaign against rise in ritual murders in 2024, January 3, Commissioner of Police in Ogun State,: “Ritual killings are the most disturbing trend of criminal activity in the state” and January 11 Nigeria: Ogun State Police Chief on how to tackle ritual killing in the state. In February, Ogun State: a hotbed of ritual crimes. However, I reported here far from all ritual related crimes occurring in Ogun State, other states in Nigeria and other countries on the continent demanding attention too.

Nigeria consist of 36 states. Ogun State has a surface area of only 16,762 km2 ranking 24th. The state borders Oyo State in the north, Osun State and Ondo State in the east and Lagos State in the south. It shares its western border with the neighboring republic of Benin. With an estimated population of 6.5 million people (2024), predominantly Yoruba, Ogun State is one of the most populated states in the southwestern part of Nigeria ranking 13th nationwide. Its capital Abeokuta is the state’s most populous city (about one million).

Early January, at the start of 2025, Ogun State Police Command has paraded 18 suspected criminals for various crimes ranging from murder, kidnapping, human trafficking, and ritual killings among other crimes at different locations in the state.
(….)
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Lanre Ogunlowo noted that last month (December 2024) the command also arrested 45-year-old twins, Yemitan Taiwo and Yemitan Kehinde for allegedly killing and dismembering a female around the Lafenwa area of Abeokuta for ritual purposes. (See the last article below).

The police spokesman also used the occasion to warn against the dangers of the growing “hookup culture,” especially for young women who engage in casual relationships with unfamiliar men for financial gain. I will return to this specific topic with a special posting in the near future.

The case of the twin brothers implicated in the murder of a sex worker for ritualistic purposes is presented below in full details.
(webmaster FVDK).

Ogun State police parade 18 suspected criminals

Published: January 7, 2025
By: Oluwatoyin Adegoke – Web News, Radio Nigeria Ibadan

Ogun State Police Command has paraded 18 suspected criminals for various offences ranging from murder, kidnapping, human trafficking, and ritual killings among other crimes at different locations in the state.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Lanre Ogunlowo while parading the suspects at the Police headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta attributed the success recorded to the provision of an Armed Personnel Carrier, and drone by Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun.

Mr Ogunlowo pointed out that among those paraded included 31-year-old Tolani Jeremiah, 20-year-old Akande Suru and 24-year-old Edwin Jatto who allegedly hacked the WhatsApp account belonging to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni of State CID, Eleweran and defrauded the victim’s family and friends of the sum of one million one hundred and fifteen thousand nairas under the false pretence that the victim needed urgent financial assistance. 

He noted that the command also arrested 45-year-old twins, Yemitan Taiwo and Yemitan Kehinde for allegedly killing and dismembering a female around the Lafenwa area of Abeokuta for ritual purposes.

The Police Commissioner solicited cooperation and support in the collective effort to keep Ogun State safe and peaceful.

Mr Ogunlowo appealed to the residents of the state to provide the police with timely information to aid their efforts in preventing and addressing criminal activities.

Source: Ogun Police Parade 18 Suspected Criminals

Read also:

Ogun State Police arrest twin brother of ritualist for murder & mutilation of female victim

Published: January 1, 2025
By: Mister Jay Wonder – Gistmania, Nigeria

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested Kehinde Yemitan, the twin brother of Taiwo Yemitan, who was previously apprehended in connection with the ritualistic murder of a female victim, Darasimi. Kehinde was arrested on Monday, December 30, 2024, after a tip-off led authorities to his hiding place in the Ilogbo community.

Taiwo Yemitan, along with an accomplice, Kazeem, was arrested on Sunday, December 22, 2024, for the gruesome killing of Darasimi, a female night worker. The trio allegedly lured the victim to Taiwo’s residence, located behind Atinsola petrol station in the Sanni area of Abeokuta, where they killed her for ritual purposes. The police had previously discovered a fresh human head and dismembered body parts believed to belong to Darasimi.

According to Ogun State Police spokesperson, SP Omolola Odutola, Kehinde was tracked down following a report from a volunteer informant. The informant provided valuable information that led to Kehinde’s location in the Ilogbo community. The police, in collaboration with the So Safe Corps, promptly launched a manhunt and apprehended him.

During questioning, Kehinde admitted to conspiring with his twin brother Taiwo and Kazeem to carry out the heinous crime. Local community members also confirmed his involvement in other criminal activities. Kehinde has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

The police have once again issued a public warning regarding the dangers of the growing “hookup culture,” especially for young women who engage in casual relationships with unfamiliar men for financial gain. SP Odutola stressed that women should seek sustainable means of income and be cautious of falling into similar dangerous situations.

In light of this tragic event, the Ogun State Police Command has intensified efforts to raise awareness about the risks young women face in such engagements. Authorities are urging caution, especially as the investigation into Kehinde’s role in the crime continues.

Further updates will be provided as the case progresses. The police have appealed to young women to view this incident as a cautionary tale and remain vigilant to avoid falling victim to similar ritual killings.

Source: Ogun Police Arrest Twin Brother of Ritualist For Murder & Mutilation Of Female Victim

Twin brothers kill, dismember sex worker in Ogun State

Published: January 1, 2025
By: James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta – Vanguard, Nigeria

Operatives of Ogun State Police command, on Tuesday, said it arrested one Kehinde Yemitan, a murder and ritualist suspect at his hiding in Ilogbo Ota community of Ogun State.

The suspect’s twin brother, Taiwo had earlier been arrested on December 22 alongside one Kazeem for the alleged murder and dismembering of one Darasimi.

The victim is a commercial sex worker, who was lured to the suspects’ Abeokuta residence and killed.

The spokesperson of the state police command, Omolola Odutola, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

Odutola said, “Having been fingered as one of the accomplices to the tragic crime, the police surveillance team in collaboration with the So Safe Corps were said to have been on the look out for Kehinde until intelligence gave out his hideout on Monday.

“On December 30, 2024, at about 5 p.m., the Divisional Police Officer of Sango Otta received a tip from a volunteer informant indicating that Kehinde Yemitan, the twin brother of Taiwo Yemitan, was hiding in the Ilogbo community.

“The Police launched a manhunt for Kehinde in connection with murder and the mutilation of one Darasimi, surname unknown, on the 22nd of December, 2024 when his twin brother, Taiwo, and Kazeem were arrested at about 1 p.m., by the Divisional Police Officer of Lafenwa after the duo lured their victim Darasimi, a night sex worker in Abeokuta to their house for ritual purposes.

“Following this information, a surveillance team, in collaboration with the So Safe Corps, promptly mobilized to the community and apprehended the suspect.

“Several community members also confirmed his involvement in criminal activities.”

Yemitian was said to have been been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation.

Meanwhile, Odutola has urged young women to desist from engaging in casual friendship or relationship for pecuniary gains otherwise called “hookup’, given the perennial danger inherent in such unholy relationship.

The police spokesperson urged parents to also join the police in raising awareness about the danger of getting involved in vices such as prostitution that could readily cut people’s life short.

She said, “A further appeal goes to the teeming young females to see this unfortunate incident as a big lesson and be cautious not to fall victim to another ritual killing.”

Source: Twin brothers kill, dismember sex worker in Ogun

And:

Ogun police apprehend 3 for murdering sex worker

Published: January 1, 2025
By: TSJ Reporter 2 – Street Journal, Nigeria

Officers of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested two brothers whose names are Taiwo and Kehinde Yemitan alongside a man identified as Kazeem for murdering and dismembering the remains of a sex worker identified as Darasimi in Ilogbo, Ado-Odo/Ota local government area (LGA) Ogun State.

This was revealed via a statement by the state’s police spokesperson Superintendent (SP) Omolola Odutola on Tuesday, December 31.

She noted that Darasimi was lured to the residence of Kehinde in Abeokuta, where she was killed and her body parts were dismembered.

The statement read, “Having been fingered as one of the accomplices to the tragic crime, the police surveillance team, in collaboration with the So Safe Corps, was on the lookout for Kehinde until intelligence revealed his hideout on Monday.

“On December 30, 2024, at about 5 p.m., the Divisional Police Officer of Sango Otta received a tip from a volunteer informant indicating that Kehinde Yemitan, the twin brother of Taiwo Yemitan, was hiding in the Ilogbo community.

“The Police launched a manhunt for Kehinde in connection with the murder and mutilation of one Darasimi, surname unknown, on the 22nd of December, 2024, when his twin brother, Taiwo, and Kazeem were arrested at about 1 p.m. by the Divisional Police Officer of Lafenwa after the duo lured their victim Darasimi, a night sex worker in Abeokuta, to their house for ritual purposes.

“Following this information, a surveillance team, in collaboration with the So Safe Corps, promptly mobilised the community and apprehended the suspect.”

Odutola mentioned that the suspect confessed to collaborating with others to commit the crime in Abeokuta, noting that several local residents had also verified his involvement in criminal activities.

She then stated that the suspects have been moved to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Eleweran, Ogun State for further questioning.

The police spokesperson then urged young women to exercise caution and avoid participating in ‘hookups’ or other reckless behaviors to prevent falling victim to ritual killings and other crimes.

She also called on parents and guardians to collaborate with the police in raising awareness about the risks of prostitution.

“A further appeal goes to the teeming young females to see this unfortunate incident as a big lesson and be cautious not to fall victim to another ritual killing,” the statement concluded.

Source: Ogun police apprehend 3 for murdering sex worker

And:

Police nab twins, 1 other over murder of sex worker in Ogun State

Published: January 1, 2025
By: Remi Adebayo – Leadership, Nigeria

Two brothers, Taiwo and Kehinde Yemitan as well as one Kazeem have been apprehended by the operatives of the Ogun State Police Command over their involvement in the killing and dismembering a sex worker identified as Darasimi in Ogun State.

Kehinde was arrested in his hiding at the Ilogbo area of Ota in the Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of the state after the arrest of his accomplice, Taiwo.

The commercial sex worker, Darasimi, was reported to have been lured to the suspects’ Abeokuta home, where she was killed and dismembered.

Spokesperson of the Ogun State Police Command, SP Omolola Odutola, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday said the victim, Darasimi was lured to the residence of the suspects in Abeokuta where she was murdered and her remains dismembered.

According to the state’s police image maker, “Having been fingered as one of the accomplices to the tragic crime, the police surveillance team, in collaboration with the So Safe Corps, was on the lookout for Kehinde until intelligence revealed his hideout on Monday.

“On December 30, 2024, at about 5 p.m., the Divisional Police Officer of Sango Otta received a tip from a volunteer informant indicating that Kehinde Yemitan, the twin brother of Taiwo Yemitan, was hiding in the Ilogbo community.

“The Police launched a manhunt for Kehinde in connection with the murder and mutilation of one Darasimi, surname unknown, on the 22nd of December, 2024, when his twin brother, Taiwo, and Kazeem were arrested at about 1 p.m. by the Divisional Police Officer of Lafenwa after the duo lured their victim Darasimi, a night sex worker in Abeokuta, to their house for ritual purposes.

“Following this information, a surveillance team, in collaboration with the So Safe Corps, promptly mobilised the community and apprehended the suspect.”

Odutola, in the statement said the suspect admitted to conspiring with others to carry out the crime in Abeokuta, adding that several community members also confirmed his involvement in criminal activities.

According to the Odutola, the suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, for further investigation.

The PPRO warned young women to be more cautious and desist from engaging in “hookups” and other indecent ways of life to avoid becoming victims of ritual killings and other crimes.

She further appealed to parents and guardians to join hands with the police in sensitising the public about the dangers of prostitution.

“A further appeal goes to the teeming young females to see this unfortunate incident as a big lesson and be cautious not to fall victim to another ritual killing,” she said.

Source: Police Nab Twins, 1 Other Over Murder Of Sex Worker In Ogun

And:

Ogun sex worker killed, dismembered by twin brothers

Published: January 1, 2025
By: Anthony Ufo – The Guardian

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested two brothers, Taiwo and Kehinde Yemitan, for allegedly killing and dismembering a sex worker, Darasimi, in Ogun State. 

One of the suspects, Kehinde, was arrested while hiding in the Ilogbo area of Ota in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. Before then, his accomplice, Taiwo, had already been arrested by the police.

The commercial sex worker, Darasimi, was reported to have been lured to the suspects’ Abeokuta home, where she was killed and dismembered. 

SP Omolola Odutola, the Ogun State Police spokesperson, made this known to the public in a statement on Tuesday. 

Odutola said, “Having been fingered as one of the accomplices to the tragic crime, the police surveillance team, in collaboration with the So Safe Corps, was on the lookout for Kehinde until intelligence revealed his hideout on Monday. 

“On December 30, 2024, at about 5 p.m., the Divisional Police Officer of Sango Otta received a tip from a volunteer informant indicating that Kehinde Yemitan, the twin brother of Taiwo Yemitan, was hiding in the Ilogbo community. 

“The Police launched a manhunt for Kehinde in connection with the murder and mutilation of one Darasimi, surname unknown, on the 22nd of December, 2024, when his twin brother, Taiwo, and Kazeem were arrested at about 1 p.m. by the Divisional Police Officer of Lafenwa after the duo lured their victim Darasimi, a night sex worker in Abeokuta, to their house for ritual purposes. 

“Following this information, a surveillance team, in collaboration with the So Safe Corps, promptly mobilized the community and apprehended the suspect.

“He admitted to conspiring with others to carry out the crime in Abeokuta. 

“Several community members also confirmed his involvement in criminal activities.” 

The suspects, according to the spokesperson, have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, for further investigation of the case. 

Odutola also advised young women to be more careful and desist from engaging in “hookups” and other indecent ways of life to avoid becoming victims of ritual killings and other crimes. She also appealed to parents and guardians to join hands with the police in sensitising the public about the dangers of prostitution. 

“A further appeal goes to the teeming young females to see this unfortunate incident as a big lesson and be cautious not to fall victim to another ritual killing,” she said.

Source: Ogun sex worker killed, dismembered by twin brothers

First announcement by the Ogun State police (late December 2024) confirming the arrest of Taiwo Yemitan for the unlawful possession of human body parts, including a severed head, following the brutal murder of a woman:

Ogun State police nab suspected ritualist,Taiwo Yemitan, for murder & human body parts possession

Published: December 22, 2024
By: Bolah / Mister Jay Wonder – Gist Mania, Nigeria

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 45-year-old man, Taiwo Yemitan, for the unlawful possession of human body parts, including a severed head, following the brutal murder of a woman identified as Darasimi.  

Yemitan was apprehended at approximately 1:40 AM on Sunday in the Lafenwa area of Abeokuta after a tip-off from local security groups, including the Agbekoya and Vigilante operatives. The suspect is accused of luring Darasimi to his residence with the intent to kill her.  

Police spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the arrest and provided further details in a statement. According to Odutola, Yemitan admitted to murdering Darasimi and implicated two accomplices, identified as Kehinde Yemitan and one Kazeem, who remain at large. The motive for the killing was to sell the victim’s body parts, including her head.  

Odutola further stated that the dismembered body had been taken to the State General Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, where it is undergoing a post-mortem examination. Yemitan is set to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation. Efforts are also underway to apprehend his accomplices and locate the victim’s relatives.  

This tragic incident follows a similar case earlier this year, where a suspect, Azeez Adebayo, confessed to the murders of three women whom he and his accomplices lured through an online dating site.  

The police spokesperson urged young women to exercise caution when using online platforms and be aware of the dangers associated with meeting strangers on social media. Odutola advised women to prioritize their safety and use social media’s positive aspects to enhance their well-being.

Source: Police Nab Suspected Ritualist,Taiwo Yemitan In Ogun For Murder & Human Body Parts Possession

Nigeria: police arrest pastor, 2 others over alleged ritual killing of 19-year old girl in Kogi State (2018 article)

Below follows an older article, dating from 2018, showing that the awful practice of ritual murder for money ritual purposes is not a recent phenomenon (webmaster FVDK). 

Police arrest pastor, 2 others over alleged ritual killing of 19-year old girl in Kogi

Published: June 22, 2018
By: Sundiata Post

Lokoja –   Police in Kogi State have arrested a cleric, Oluwasegun Aturu and two others over the suspected ritual killing of a 19-year-old commercial sex worker, Miss Mercy Moses.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, ASP William Aya confirmed the arrest of the suspects to newsmen in Lokoja on Friday.

He said that Aturu who claimed to be the shepherd in charge of Voice of Canaan Temple, Cherubim and Seraphim Aladura Church, Ozuri, in Adavi Local Government Area of the state was arrested on June 19.

He was arrested alongside Samuel Oluwasegun and Abdulmumini Yakubu, all of Ozuri area in the local government, he said.

According to the police, both Oluwasegun and Yakubu were said to have at about 10 pm on June 11 gone to a popular brothel in the council area to pick the late girl to an unknown place.

They were said to have conveyed the deceased out of the brothel on a motorcycle after exchanging pleasantries with the manager of the brothel simply identified as Mohammed.

“The two men then approached one Mercy Moses, one of the commercial sex workers’ residents in the brothel. After discussing with Mercy, she was seen being taken away by the men on a motorcycle.

“When after two days she did not return, the brothel manager, Mohammed reported at a nearby Police Station at Adavi from where the case was taken up by the State Criminal Investigation Department, Lokoja,” the statement said.

He said that police investigation later led to the arrest of Pastor Otaru, Oluwasegun and Yakubu but they all denied the knowledge of Mercy’s whereabouts.

“However, following diligent interrogation by the Homicide Detectives of the State CID, both Oluwasegun and Yakubu opened up to the gory details of how they were hired by the pastor to bring a female for him.

“They confessed that Otaru hired them to bring a female for ritual purposes, promising them N700,000.

“The arrested suspects thereafter led the investigators to an area called Uhodo in Ogaminana area of Adavi where the torso of the remains of Mercy Moses was dug out from a shallow grave,” he said.

According to him, police in a well scripted move was able to track and arrest Pastor Otaru who had since the arrest of his accomplices, fled the neighborhood.

He said that the exhumed remains of the victim were deposited at Okene General Hospital mortuary for autopsy.

Source: Police arrest pastor, 2 others over alleged ritual killing of 19-year old girl in Kogi

Nigeria: Lagos ‘madwoman’ caught with human parts, corpses: “I pose as prostitute to get victims”

‘Madwoman’ – who was not mad after all – Folake Folade (right) and accomplice Emmanuel Gbenga (left)

Published: August 29, 2018, 3:54 am
By: Esther Onyegbula

The ‘madwoman’ who was arrested on Monday with decomposing corpses and other human parts under Cele Nicer Bridge in Ijanikin, Ojo area of Lagos State, has said she, at times, posed as a sex worker to get victims for her human parts business, which she has been operating for nine years.

Preliminary investigation also revealed that the suspect, identified as Folake Folade, was not mad after all. Rather, she was discovered to be the ringleader of a syndicate that sells human parts.

The suspect, who was arrested alongside her accomplice, identified as Emmanuel Gbenga, disclosed that some of her victims were men who she lured from hotels where she posed as a commercial sex worker.

When Vanguard visited the scene yesterday, some youths in the area and security agents were seen combing the tunnel under the bridge for more clues.

One of the residents of the area, Mojisola Kehinde, who claimed to be at the scene when Folake sang like a canary, said: “She opened a can of worms when she was caught.
She said she had been here (Cele Nicer Bridge) for nine years and that her business was to sell human parts to ready buyers.

“She said her customers usually parked on the bridge at night with their vehicles bonnets opened, pretending that their vehicles had one fault or the other, unknown to people that they were waiting to get human parts.

“She said her boys would be beneath the vehicle pretending to be working on the car to douse any suspicion and, in the process, hand over a nylon bag which contained the needed human parts.”

Another resident, Lawrence Oke, also claimed that Folake revealed that “whenever she failed to find preys to meet up with the demands of clients, she would dress up and head straight to any hotel of her choice at night.

“Any man that picks her for the night becomes a prey as he would end up in her den, where his body parts were later harvested and sold off to waiting clients.”

Lawrence also alleged that Folake confessed that she had boys that worked for her.

According to him, “she said once her hands touched someone, the person would lose his senses and follow her sheepishly.

She said her husband came there at times to have sex with her at night.”

The tunnel’s entrance and some things found in it (top).

Bodies in the tunnel

Vanguard gathered that when she was being interrogated by the mob, she allegedly threw her phone into the bush.

While looking for the phone, the mob discovered a tunnel where some decomposing corpses were found.

The recovered bodies included those of a middle-aged man, a baby that was less than three months and a nine-year-old boy said to have been returning from holiday classes. Also recovered inside the tunnel were school uniforms, lunch boxes, schools bags and adult clothes.

Two Ghana-must-go bags of foreign currencies and wads of N1000 notes were also found.

A mechanic, Bamijoko Ayinde, who has a workshop in the area, told Vanguard: “Do you know she was always found with new N1000 note each time she went to buy anything? And she would not collect the balance. We all assumed she was mad.”

At 1p.m. yesterday, Deputy Commissioner of Police, in charge of Operations, Mohammed Alli, was sighted at the scene in the company of other policemen.

However, Lagos State Police Command condemned the mob action on one of the suspects, who was set ablaze.

Police to probe mob action

Spokesman for the command, Chief Superintendent Chike Oti, confirmed the incidents, including the lynching of the suspects’ accomplice.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, has directed the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ijanikin to cordon off the scene and ensure that the remains found in the tunnel are not tampered with, pending the arrival of police forensic experts.

According to Oti, “the Commissioner said it is regrettable that despite the various town hall meetings he held to sensitise communities in the state to the evil of jungle justice, some people at Olorunshogo community constituted themselves into a mob and took laws into their hands by killing one of the suspects, who might have been very useful in the ongoing investigation, had they handed him over to the Police.

“He warned that anybody found to have participated in the killing of the yet-to-be-identified man, will be arrested and charged for murder to serve as a deterrent to others with penchant for taking the law into their hands.”

Source:
Lagos ‘madwoman’ caught with human parts, corpses: I pose as prostitute to get victims 

Lagos State – Nigeria