3 arrested over murder of 2 college of education students for rituals

DETECTIVES from the Ondo State Police Command, on Sunday, said three suspected kidnappers were arrested in connection with the alleged kidnap and killing of two female students of the Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, for ritual purposes.

Two students of the institution, Oladepo Blessing and Oluwasemilore Mary, were recently declared missing, just as the police had begun investigations into their whereabouts.

However, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Femi Joseph, disclosed that the arrest of a robbery suspect in Ondo town, on Friday, led to the discovery of the remains of the missing students.

According to him, the robbery suspect also confessed to have participated in the kidnap and killing of the girls for rituals, saying his confession led to the arrest of the other two suspects who participated in the killing.

According to the PPRO, the suspects were John Adenikiri, also known as Emir; Fisayo Fasanu a.k.a Abore and Alfa Abdurafiu, a herbalist.

The police image-maker explained that Adenikiri and Fasanu confessed that they sold the dismembered bodies of the victims to Abdurafiu, who finally used them for rituals, disclosing that while Adenikiri and Fasanu were arrested in Ondo town, Abdurafiu was arrested in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.

Joseph said, “We have arrested the three suspects in connection with the kidnap and killing of  the victims for money rituals. One of the suspects was arrested during a robbery operation on Friday. After his arrest, he assisted us in arresting other suspects.

“After series of interrogation, the suspects confessed to dismembering the bodies of the victims for ritual purposes, and they took us to where they buried one of the victims, and on getting there, we found the body was already decomposing.”

Joseph, however, explained that the command was yet to confirm the identity of the decomposing body, but declared that the suspects would be charged to court upon completion of investigation.

He further revealed that the parents of the victims might be invited for identification of the bodies, while forensic expert might also be needed to identify which of the victims was found,” Joseph stated.