The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a 35-year-old man, Ridwan Bello, popularly called Asalailu, after human body parts were found in his residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Also arrested was his accomplice, 70-year-old Fatai Adeleke, who bought the human parts from Bello.
The two suspects were said to be a syndicate that specialised in exhuming buried corpses and selling the body parts for ritual purposes.
The suspects were arrested by detectives from the Iyaganku Divisional Police Headquarters, on Tuesday at about 2:30a.m., while acting on a tip-off.
The command’s spokesman, CSP Adewale Osifeso, who confirmed the arrest, said that when a search was conducted in Bello’s residence at Muslim area, the detectives recovered a female human torso and other dismembered human remains, including severed limbs and dried bones, which were stored in bags and a paint bucket.
“In his confession, Bello claimed to have exhumed the corpse from a cemetery in Awa-Ijebu, Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State, and admitted selling the body parts to ritualists,” the PPRO disclosed.
Tribune Online learnt that after detectives verified his claim when he led them to the cemetery where the corpse was exhumed, his further confession led to the arrest of the accomplice, Adeleke.
The septuagenarian said to be the buyer of human parts from the principal suspect, confessed to his involvement in the illicit trade in human body parts.
CSP Osifeso said that the case has been transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan, for further investigation.
He added that efforts were being intensified to identify and apprehend others involved.
He stated: “The Command urges managers of cemeteries to exercise heightened vigilance in light of recent instances of ritualists exhuming corpses.
“Additionally, transporters are advised to scrutinize the contents of their passengers’ loads to avoid inadvertently facilitating illicit activities.
“The Command encourages the general public to report any suspicious occurrences to the Police or other law enforcement agencies.”
The PPRO advised residents of the state to contact the Oyo State Call Response Center at 615 or use the following numbers: 08081768614, 09054133071, and 09061299291.
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