Alleged murder, human parts sales: Trial stalled as first defendant insists on new lawyer

There was a mild drama at the trial of five persons accused of conspiracy, murder and dismemberment of victims for the sale of human parts, holding at Court 5 of Oyo State High Court, Ibadan, on Tuesday, when it was stalled by one of them, Adekunle Mohammed, who is the first defendant, as he rejected his erstwhile lawyer and told the judge, Justice Akinniyi Ladiran Akintola, to wait for his new lawyer who was on his way.

Mohammed and four others – Muniru Salaudeen, Rashidat Akanji a.k.a. Iya Ewe, Ismail Olalekan, and Sanmi Obaleye – are on trial for alleged conspiracy, murder and dismemberment of the corpses of many victims for sale.

As the accused persons were arraigned on Tuesday for commencement of the trial, a defence counsel, Adebola Ogungbe, stood up for the first and fifth defendants, but Mohammed quickly raised a finger and asked to be allowed to talk.

After the judge gave him a nod to talk, the accused told the entire court that he had got another defence counsel, whose name he gave as Barrister Abdullahi.

Mohammed told Justice Akintola that the lawyer came to see him in the prison on Monday, and told him he would come to defend him in court. The defendant asked the court to wait for his lawyer as he was on his way with his own elder brother.

This made the judge ask for the lawyer’s phone number so that he could be called to know where he was. Justice Akintola also briefly adjourned the case for the issue to be resolved, but, surprisingly, calls made to the number provided by the accused could not go through, as the line was not reachable.

On his return to the courtroom, the judge was told of the inability to reach the lawyer wanted by the accused. 

Justice Akintola, who confirmed the defendant’s constitutional rights, however, told him that another lawyer would be given to him if the one he chose does not appear on the date of adjournment.

The judge made the defendant know that he could not stall the court hearing on the case before it. Four witnesses were in court for the hearing of the case.

The accused persons are facing a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and murder. 

It will be recalled that Mohammed, a resident of Olorisa Oko, Moniya Community, was arrested on August 8, 2024, by detectives in the Oyo State Police Command in connection with the death of missing persons. Nigerian Tribune gathered that prior to his arrest, residents of the community were perceiving foul odour coming from the well he dug in front of his house.

They were said to have reported the case to Amotekun Corps personnel, after which they both went to lodge a report with the Divisional Police Officer at Moniya Division.

After getting him arrested same day, Nigerian Tribune further learnt that police detectives, community members and Amotekun Corps took Mohammed to his house the following day, August 9, and when the door to his house was opened, a knife, animal horns with charms, and a plastic bottle containing substance suspected to be human blood were found.

It was a gory sight when, after the well was opened and some men were hired to go in and see what was inside, three mutilated and decomposed human bodies were brought out. One of the victims was recognised by his family members with the cloth he wore that was found with his decomposed state.

When interrogated, Mohammed confessed to being their killer in connivance with his accomplices, who are currently at large. He also disclosed that the four other defendants in court with him were buying the human body parts from him.

One of the victims, Adekola Sadiq, was allegedly murdered on May 22, 2024, at about 5:30 p.m., and his remains thrown in a deep well. The second victim, one Malik Kareem, was also allegedly killed on August 6, same year, and his remains thrown in the well as was usually done.

Mohammed, aged 39, and who claimed to be a herbalist and Islamic teacher, was reported to have confessed to killing seven human beings since February 2024, out of which he participated in five before his arrest in August. He had reportedly told the police how he left his personal house at Seriki Okegbemi, Oloyin Community at Olorisa Oko area in 2017 after being accused of exhuming the corpse of a community member’s late wife. He said that he went to rent a room at Ojoo area but would sneak into his personal house with some friends whenever they wanted to kill a victim. He mentioned one of the defendants, Akanji a.k.a.Iya Ewe, and her daughter, one Yemisi, who were both herbs sellers at Oje market, as buyers of human parts from him.

He confessed that one of his clients, Ahmed, brought a man to his house and used a stone to hit the victim’s head after he had been given alcoholic drink. 

He said that the victim died instantly. He stated further that after he and one of his friends, Lukman Bulala, dismembered the victim’s corpse, he used the human heart to prepare money ritual for Ahmed, while Bulala went away with the head, a hand and two legs to sell to his clients without paying him any amount. 

He said that he threw the remaining human parts in the well so that he would not be found out by community members.

He further revealed that in March 2024, Bulala brought a man to his house, and he and Ahmed joined Bulala, applied the same method used for other victims by drugging him, after which they smashed his head with a stone. The victim’s corpse was also dismembered, after which Mohammed said he took the head and some flesh to Oje market and sold them to Iya Ewe for N50,000.

He told the police how he and Ahmed went to get some herbs, and on their way back home, they saw a lady who wanted to board a bike. Mohammed said that acting like a commercial motorcycle operator he picked the lady and took her to his house with Ahmed and killed her. He disclosed that he sold the victim’s two hands and fleshy parts to one Aafa Otu for N40,000 while he threw the remaining body parts in his well.

He added that in May same year, at about 7:30p.m., he saw a drunken man at Ido motor park on his way back home at Ojoo. He told the police that he parked, put the man on his bike and took him home. He then called Bulala and Ahmed, and together, they killed the man with stone and handed him over to one Ara Okan Mi, who was his friend and also an Islamic teacher and herbalist, to use for ritual that would aid them in getting more spiritual power 

According to him, the last he did before his arrest was that of Malik Kareem, whom he claimed was a Yahoo boy. Mohammed confessed that he lured the boy to his house and invited Bulala to come. He said that as usual, they killed Kareem by hitting him on the head with a stone, after which he was dismembered.

According to Mohammed, the victim’s head and two legs were sold to Muniru for N75,000. Kareem’s two hands to one Olobe for N60,000 while he, Mohammed, took some fleshy parts home.

He recalled that Iya Ewe bought a human head, two hands and two legs from him in June for N150,000, while her daughter, Yemisi, also bought human flesh from him about four times for N10,000 each time.

Read Also: NGF Chairman visits Plateau, calls for peace

He told the police that the second defendant, Muniru Salaudeen, had patronised him over 10 times to purchase human parts, while one Yakubu Kurasi used to come to his house to kill victims and sell their body parts to his clients.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that when detectives went to Mohammed’s house with a search warrant, they found human parts, including that of Kareem, his last victim, in his well.

While the detectives were still searching, Muniru reportedly called Mohammed and requested for the human parts he needed. He was said to have been trailed to Ologuneru and arrested. 

Though some of Mohammed’s accomplices and buyers of human parts are currently at large, it was learnt that detectives at the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan, are still on their trail to bring them to book.