The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of three persons including a pastor, Felix Ajadi, for allegedly killing a 39-year-old man, Muyiwa Adekunle, for ritual purposes in the state.
Ajadi and the two other suspects, Idowu Abel and Clement Adeniyi, after perpetrating the crime, reportedly dismembered Adekunle’s corpse for ritual purposes and buried the victim’s remains in a shallow grave.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a statement on Tuesday, said the suspects were arrested following a report by the deceased’s elder brother, Oluwaseyi Adekunle.
He said, “Upon receiving the report, the Divisional Police Officer, Owode-Yewa Division, CSP Mohammed Baba, detailed detectives to unravel the mystery behind the sudden disappearance of the man.
“In the course of their investigation, it was discovered that Idowu Abel was the person who picked Adekunle from his house.
“Upon the discovery, the said Idowu Abel was traced and arrested. On interrogation, he confessed that Adekunle, who happened to be his friend, was lured out by him and taken to the farm of the second accomplice, Clement Adeniyi, where he was killed and butchered.”
Oyeyemi said Abel confessed further that a yet-to-be-identified herbalist, who was introduced to him by the pastor, Ajadi, requested for a human head, heart, two hands and legs.
“He said the herbalist, who is now at large, promised to pay him N200,000 if he gets the listed human parts for him and that the herbalist paid N80,000 as advance payment with the promise to pay the balance of N120,000 on receiving the items.
“After collecting the advance payment, Idowu Abel went to his friend, Muyiwa Adekunle, and asked him to escort him somewhere. The victim, who didn’t suspect any foul play followed him innocently, and he was taken to the farm of Clement Adeniyi, where they killed him, dismembered his body and hurriedly buried his remains in a shallow grave in the farm.
“His confession led to the arrest of Clement Adeniyi and Pastor Felix Ajadi, while the herbalist who was simply identified as Abeeb, aka Boko, has fled.”
Oyeyemi, however, said the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation.
