Five nabbed for exhuming corpses, selling human parts

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested five men for allegedly exhuming corpses and selling their parts for ritual purposes.

According to police authorities, the suspects -,
Jamiu Adeleke, Ajibade Rafiu, Fatai Akiwowo,
Kazeem Sanni and Agboola Kolawole - had at
different times sold human parts in Owode, Ogun
State.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State
Command, Ngozi Braide, said Adeleke was
arrested by the police and through his confession,
were able to apprehend the others.
She said, "On May 15, 2013, Adeleke was arrested
by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad
while he was trying to sell human hands for
N21,000. Upon interrogation, he confessed that he
bought the parts from Sanni at the cost of N6,000.
"Police arrested Sanni and he in turn confessed
that the eight hands which he sold belonged to his
siblings- his two brothers and sisters. He
confessed that he went to their graves and cut off
their heads. He confessed that he sold the heads
for N8,000 each while he sold the hands for
N4,000 each.
"Investigations led to the home of an herbalist,
Rafiu, who is also the receiver. He uses the human
parts for rituals. In his house, police recovered
fresh hands which he claimed was meant for jobs
for his customers. We also saw a bottle which he
said was crushed human skull mixed in fluid. He
said it was for power and he uses it to make
medicine for people."
Braide said investigations showed that prior to his
arrest, the herbalist had hired some of the
suspects to help him get a living human being at
the cost of N40,000.
Braide added that Adeleke, who is an Islamic
scholar, however, died while trying to escape from
police custody.
The suspects, who did not deny the allegations,
said they never killed anyone but only exhumed
corpses from graveyards.
Kolawole said he went into the business because
he needed money to pay his children's school fees.
He said, "I am a farmer and I live in a graveyard in
Owo, Ogun State. In December last year, I went to
see my friend and begged him to lend me money
to pay my children's fees. He then said if I could
help him to get human skulls, he would pay me
N8,000 for each.
"He came to my house at night and after he had
exhumed two of the corpses in the graveyards, he
gave me N16,000.
"In May, 2013, I needed money to purchase
examination form for my child and I went to meet
him again. He said he would give me N16, 000 for
two more skulls, so he exhumed two more
corpses."
A 25-year-old suspect, Sanni, who claimed to be a
commercial motorcycle rider, said he had only
exhumed two corpses, adding that he ran out of
the business when his clients started demanding
for a human being.
He said, "Akinowo told me to get two skulls for
him and I did. He gave me N6,000 and N8,000. He
later told me to get a live human being for him but
when I could not find one, they started disturbing
me with telephone calls. I only sold two skulls."
The herbalist, Rafiu, said he never exhumed any
corpse rather, it was the other suspects that were
always pestering him to buy body parts.
Rafiu, who claimed to be 28 years, said he did not
use the corpses for money rituals but used it in
preparing a potion which people drank for
protection.
"I never sent anyone to supply me human parts.
They always bring the parts to my place and beg
me to buy," he said.
Asked what was in the bottle recovered from him,
he said, "The bottle I am holding contains a burnt
and crushed human skull and schnapps. Anybody
who drinks it will be immune to all forms of
attack. I have been doing this for about seven
years now but I have never drunk the potion. I am
even scared to use it.
"I have a wife and child and it is this job I use in
sustaining myself."
Another suspect, Akinowo, said poverty pushed
him into the illegal business. Akinowo, who spoke
amid tears, said he was paid N8,000 for each body
part.
Akinowo said in his statement that he cut the
heads of his late brothers and two sisters buried in
private graves in his compound and sold them for
N8,000 each.