The Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force has paraded four suspected ritualists and four fraudsters, who allegedly pretended to be herbalists.
The suspected ritualists and dealers in human parts are, Ajibola Mustapha, 30; Waheed Oyerinde, 32; Saheed Ashiru, 28; and Lateef Taoheed.
The police said they were arrested on December 10 around 9.45 p.m.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Lawal Shehu, said the operatives first arrested Mustapha and his accomplices, who were said to specialise in exhuming corpses and removing their body parts around the Isabo area of Abeokuta, Ogun State.
He added that detectives from the Zonal Intervention Squad were asked to investigate the happenings around the area.
The AIG added that four suspected fraudsters, who posed as herbalists, also duped a housewife of N1.5m.
He added that those arrested in connection with the fraud were Babatunde Adeyemi, 26; Lawal Smoke, 40; Oluwabunmi Okeomo, 45; and Ogaode Monday, 25.
According to him, all the suspects have confessed to obtaining the sum of N1.5m from the victim under false pretences.
Shehu stated, “On December 10 around 9.45pm, the command received information that one Alfa Ajibola Mustapha and his accomplices, who specialise in exhuming dead bodies and removing their body parts, were noticed around the Isabo area of Abeokuta, Ogun State. Detectives from the ZIS were detailed to investigate it. Four suspects were arrested, while exhibits were also recovered from them.
“On November 27, operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau of the command received information that some of ‘one-chance’ operators, who specialise in luring victims, mostly women, to their hideouts under the pretence of facilitating business, had lured one Mrs Onyekwere to their hideout in the Ifo area of Ogun State.
“Upon a tip-off, all the suspects were arrested. The suspects confessed to have obtained the sum of N1.5m from the victim.”
The husband of the victim, Mr Iroha Onyekwere, 37, said he noticed that his wife’s behaviour had not been stable for about two months.
He explained that when he checked his briefcase, he discovered that $1,500 had gone missing, adding that he later discovered another $2,000 to be missing, noting that the discovery made him to ask his wife what had happened.
Iroha explained, “It was then she told me that some people introduced her to a phone and accessories’ business.
“When they brought her into the office in Abule Egba, they then changed the topic from the phone business to prayers or something like that. That was how everything started. I later realised that she had taken all the money I gave her for thrift contribution to them.”
His wife said the fraudsters asked her not to disclose the deal to anybody if she did not want her children and husband to die, adding that she was scared and so had to play along with them.
The police also arrested eight suspected land grabbers with one locally-made gun, one live cartridge, two nail sticks, cutlasses and sword recovered from them.
Three armed robbery suspects, who were said to specialise in removing cars from parks, were also arrested. One Toyota Corolla saloon car, a master key and one cutlass were recovered from the suspects.
The AIG stated that all the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations were completed.
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