One of the three suspected merchants in human parts arrested by operatives of the Oyo State police command, Ogundele Tajudeen, has confessed to the crime, which he purchased for self use and sale to others who might need them. Tajudeen told of how he used to purchase human bones of finger tip size for N1,000, which he used for money-making charms for himself. He said the charms yielded results as he made between N10,000 and N30,000 after using the charms.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that Tajudeen and two others, Lukman Aseeke and Isaac Aderemi Ashamu, were apprehended by the Monitoring Unit of Oyo Police Command, after intelligence gathering on the involvement of Tajudeen in human parts sales. Commissioner of Police in the state, Johnson Adenola, immediately directed the Monitoring Unit to get the suspect for interrogation.
The unit, led by the Commander, ACP Olusola Aremu, reportedly put Tajudeen on surveillance and busted his place on April 26, arrested him and recovered suspected human flesh and breasts put in two containers separately. Seen among the recovered human flesh was the one with date of birth and name tattooed on it.
On interrogation, he confessed to having clients who buy human parts from him for ritual. He also admitted to have used the parts for money ritual for himself. When asked how and where he got the body parts from, the suspect mentioned Lukman, whom he said told him to help sell the body parts. This led to the arrest of the second suspect, Lukman.
During interrogation, Lukman told the operatives that he got the human parts from one Isaac Aderemi Ashamu, and when he was also picked, Ashamu told the police that he got them from one Oluwo who is currently at large.
In an interview with the suspect by the Nigerian Tribune, he told his story thus: “I’m from Ovo Town. I’m 46 years old and married and blessed with five children. I’m a farmer, a gardener at Oyo West Local Government as a casual worker and a herbalist. They police came to me and told me of their suspicion that I possessed human parts. They searched my house and truly found some human flesh in two containers. The containers were given to me by Lukman on April 23 and he said he would come back for them.”
How I started
“Whenever I wanted to use any human part, I would seek people’s help to get it. Sometimes, I would look for a small human bone part. I would use it for myself to get money (biboasiri). I got the first one I used from Lukman. Others also helped in getting the human bone. I would grind it with some herbs and soap to make the charm,” he said.
When asked of the fortunes he had made since using the human bones for money ritual, Ogundele said he didn’t have a car and lives in a family house, but was getting money to “I used to pay N1,000 for the purchase of the bone. It used to be a small piece (showing the top part of his finger). I was making charms with the human bone to find a path to wealth, but it has yet to open. However, I used to get between N10,000 and N30,000 after making the charm.” He admitted that getting the bone would naturally involve someone’s death, but said he had never killed anyone.
The second suspect, Lukman, also spoke on his involvement in human parts trade: “I’m from Oyo and 53 years old. I’m a herbalist and traditional worshipper (olorisa). I’m married to two wives and have seven children. I was arrested because of the human parts I got for use. I wanted to use them for money-making charms. I went to my friend, Ashamu, and told him I needed human parts. He replied that he didn’t have them at that particular moment. About 10 days after, Ashamu called me and said he had got the human flesh I needed. I went there, hoping to collect a small portion of the human flesh that would not cost me more than N5,000. I started patronising him last year. It was his apprentice who made me to know his boss deals in human part sales when I told him of money-making charm preparation that I needed to do which would involve the use of human flesh. It was an elderly herbalist that told me to use human flesh for the charm, but he is now dead. The first charm I made for myself did not bring any positive result.
“When I got to Ashamu, the human flesh he handed over to me was much more in quantity than I used to buy from him. I gave him N5,000 and told him I couldn’t keep the human flesh. Immediately, I called Tajudeen because he used to sell human parts. He said he was on his way to the farm. On his return, he came to pick the bucket of human flesh from me. I didn’t take it to him. Ashamu had told me to let him know the amount made after the sale by Tajudeen. I handed it to Tajudeen on Wednesday April 23. I was picked two days after. I don’t know about the plastic container that has human breasts inside.”
Immediately Lukman made his last statement, an argument arose between him and Tajudeen on the possession of the two containers recovered from the latter. While Tajudeen claimed that they were handed over to him by Lukman, Lukman said he only gave him the one containing human flesh and knew nothing about the one with breasts in it.
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Lukman told the Nigerian Tribune that Tajudeen was being economical with the truth, as he had been in the system for long. “That was why I called him to come and pick the bucket of human flesh. The first time I collected human flesh from him, he told me where he got it from (name of town and family compound withheld). We both went to the elderly herbalist I initially mentioned and he prepared the charm for us, but it didn’t work for me. However, Tajudeen told me that he got the result as clients started coming to him for consultation and he was getting between N30,000 and N100,000. He said that it might be that it did not work for my spirit being. When I spoke to that Baba about it, he taught me two other ways of making the money charm. That was what led me to Ashamu to get human flesh. I have patronised him twice.”
The third suspect, Ashamu, aged 41, also confirmed his engagement in human parts sale. Ashamu, a father of five who hails from Ife Odan in Osun State but based in Oyo Town, told the Nigerian Tribune: “Lukman and I have been interacting for about three years. At a time, we became a little bit distant to each other when my wife told me to be wary of him. She said that she suspected him of using human flesh. She didn’t know that I was also dealing in human parts sale.
“Recently, on a day, he came and told me he needed human flesh. I told him that my supplier was dead. I sought the flesh from one man called Apènà Ajé. He used to travel around with the human body parts to sell to people who need them. He was introduced to me by another man from Isale Oyo. He told me he used to come from Ekiti State. My pain is that the person who introduced him to me is dead. I know that before we can buy human flesh or others, someone must have died. It’s the devil that hardens our hearts not to feel for fellow humans that owned the parts before we got them. I was pushed to the business because of poverty. I started selling human parts three years ago. I became a native doctor nine years ago.”
Commenting on the arrest, CP Adenola said the command was still investigating the case, in addition to a manhunt for the suspect at large. The police boss advised people to desist from getting involved in obnoxious activities, while he stressed on respect for the sanctity of human lives.
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