The police in Ogun State have arrested two suspects for allegedly killing a housewife and her four-year-old son.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the victims were killed for ritual purposes.
He identified the suspects as 29-year-old herbalists Baoku Gbuyi and a 27-year-old bricklayer Olamide Odulaja.
The arrest of the suspects, the police spokesman noted, followed a report received at Ijebu Igbo division, from the victim’s husband, who reported that his wife and his son went out and yet to return, and efforts to locate her and the little boy was futile.
“On interrogation, Olamide confessed that he and one herbalist abducted the victim and her son on the 13 of February 2021 and that the victims were killed for money ritual at the house of the said herbalist,” Oyeyemi said.
“He stated further that, it was the herbalist who burnt the woman’s head which he used for him and upon Hus confession, detectives went after the said herbalist who resides in Arararomi, Jaoara, Ijebu Igbo.
“On getting to his resident, it was discovered that the herbalist has taken to flight having heard about the arrest of Olamide.”
On how the suspects were arrested, the police spokesman said following the complaints lodged, all the adjoining divisions were alerted to be on the lookout for the fleeing suspect who was eventually traced to Kajola village, where he was arrested by the DPO Awa Ijebu with the assistance of hunters and local vigilantes
“On interrogation, the herbalist confessed that it was Olamide Odulaja who approached him for the money-making ritual following which he asked him to bring a head of human being as one of the material to be used,” he stated.
The suspected herbalist was said to have opened up that they conspired to abduct the woman and her son and slaughter them for ritual purpose.
The suspect noted that he burnt the woman’s head with some other herb material which he gave to Olamide to use.
When asked about the little boy, he said that his head and remains were dumped inside a pit latrine.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, has ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the state criminal investigation and intelligence department for further investigation and diligent prosecution.
The CP who described the incident as the height of man inhumanity to man warned those who are out looking for a money-making ritual to desist as only hard work backed with prayer can lead to success.
