Men of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a couple, Taiwo Olutufese Ajalorun and Salawa Oyenusi Ajalorun, for killing and dismembering a 26-year-old lady for ritual purpose in Ijebu Ode area of the State.
The couple, who alongside six others conspired to kill the victim identified as Oyindamola Adeyemi, allegedly dismembered her body, which they sold in parts to their waiting buyers for money-making rituals.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the couple and the six other accomplices namely Lukman Oladele, Kayode Ibrahim, Bello Akeem, Alebiosu Adebayo, Fatai Rasheed and Fatai Jimoh, cut off the head, legs, the two hands and other body parts of the deceased, which they sold separately at N30,000 for head and N50,000 for the heart.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the incident to journalists on Thursday in Abeokuta, the State capital, said the suspects were arrested following a report lodged at the Obalende Divisional Police Headquarters in Ijebu-Ode by one Ojo Omolara, who reported that the victim, who was her neighbour, left home since morning of Wednesday December 28, 2022 but didn’t return home and her phone had since then been switched off.
Oyeyemi explained that the dismembered corpse of Oyindamola, a mother of two, was later discovered by the roadside by Police operatives on routine patrol, who evacuated it to a mortuary.
“Fortunately, the mortuary is a stone throw distance away from the house of the deceased and one of the mortuary workers, who knew about the missing person, called the attention of the deceased’s family to come and have a look at the body brought by the Police.
“On getting there, the deceased’s friend, Ojo Omolara, was able to identify it through the bra and underwear she put on since her head was already chopped off.
“Having recognised the body, the DPO Obalende Division, SP Murphy Salami, mobilised his crack detectives and embarked on a technical and intelligence-based investigation, which led them to Taiwo Olutufese Ajalorun, an herbalist, in whose possession the deceased’s Itel phone was recovered.
“He was promptly arrested, and a search warrant was duly executed in his house, where a container full of human blood later discovered to be that of the deceased was recovered.
“His arrest led to the apprehension of his friend, Lukman Oladele, whose house the legs of the deceased were also recovered. They both made confessional statements which led to the arrest of other suspects who are buyers of different parts of the deceased’s body.
“On interrogation, Taiwo Olutufese Ajalorun and Lukman Oladele confessed that the deceased was lured to the house of Taiwo who happened to be her man friend, but as soon as the victim entered, she was pinned down by both Taiwo Olutufese and Lukman Oladele and they subsequently strangled her to death.
“The suspects confessed further that the victim was the third persons they have killed in such gruesome manner,” the PPRO stated.
