The Ogun State Police Command, Southwest Nigeria, have arrested two suspected ritualists for unlawful possession of a fresh human head.
The suspects, Monday Karezu, 32, a national of Benin Republic, and Anagonou Kamelan, 44, a Togolese, were arrested at the house of a herbalist while attempting a money ritual.
The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a statement on Sunday, said the suspects were arrested on November 3, 2021, following information received by men of the Modus Operandi Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.
The PPRO added that the Policemen got a hint that some men were going to a herbalist’s house with a human head to make a money ritual.
He said, “Upon the information, the DSP Nurudeen Gafar-led team swiftly moved to the area where the herbalist’s house was situated and laid ambush there. Two hours after being there, the two suspects arrived on a motorcycle with a bag containing the human head, and they were promptly arrested.
“On interrogation, Karezu informed the police that he got the head from a place known as Ijale Papa. This made the Policemen follow him to the place, only to discover that he was lying.
“Further investigation revealed that Karezu is a resident of the Sabo area of Abeokuta, and that the human head with him was that of a woman who died three months ago during childbirth and was buried not too far from his house.
“It was further discovered that the suspect had one time killed his nine months old daughter and used her head for the same purpose, but did not succeed. He had also exhumed another corpse, removed the head and used it for money-making ritual, but failed.
“The latest one that landed them in trouble was introduced to him by Anagonou Kamalen, a Togolese, who informed him that he knew a herbalist who could do an original money-making ritual for him with a human head, hence he exhumed the corpse of the woman buried not too far to his house, cut off the head and in the company of his accomplice, took it to the herbalist’s house, where they were apprehended before delivering it.”
Oyeyemi said the State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, had ordered a full investigation into the past activities of the suspects with a view to charging them to court at the end of investigation.
