Police arrest son who attempted killing mum for alleged money ritual in Lagos

A 29-year-old man, Taiwo Akinola, was on Sunday arrested by the Nigeria police at Ayobo community, on the outskirts of Lagos State after he allegedly smashed his mother’s head with a plank that had nails and a pressing iron, in an attempt to use her blood for money ritual.

TribuneOnline learnt that members of the community were shocked at the gory sight after her 14-year-old raised the alarm on sighting his grandmother, Mrs Alice Iyabo Akinola with a battered skull.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, CSP Chile Oti, in a statement, said that þhe suspect’s murder attempt was to use his mother to advance his cyber fraud business to ritual level, which is popularly referred to as Yahoo plus.

According to the PPRO, the incident occurred at about 8:30 a.m at 2, Raji Ajanaku Street, Alaja Road, Ayobo, where the suspect lived with his mother and her grandchild, 14-year-old Faruk.

“In a carefully thought-out plan to kill his mother, Taiwo, said to be a staunch member of the notorious Aiye confraternity, went to the victim’s provision store in front of their apartment and told his mother to meet him inside the house for an important discussion.

“At the same time, he sent his nephew, Faruk to go and buy him a white handkerchief and a stick of cigarette.

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“As soon as the victim entered the house, the suspect attacked her, smashing her head with a plank, pressing iron and a UPS charger; to ensure she didn’t survive the ferocious attack,” the PPRO said.

Oti spoke further that on his return, Faruk noticed that his grandmother was not in her shop, so, he went into the house, only to be confronted with the sight of the woman lying in a pool of blood.
“Shocked by what he saw, the young boy raised the alarm which attracted neighbours to the scene.

“They called the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ayobo Division, who arrived the scene with his team and promptly arrested the suspect.
“The DPO also secured the scene for further investigation by the police forensic experts attached to the Homicide section SCIID Panti, Yaba,” he said.

He added that the victim was immediately rushed to an undisclosed hospital for treatment while hanging onto life.
The PPRO said that doctors had been battling to revive Mrs Akinola who was still unconscious, while the state Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal had paid the initial hospital cost which enabled the doctors to commence treatment.

TribuneOnline learnt that during a brief interrogation, the suspect disclosed that he was asked to kill his mother in order to have more money.
The police spokesman said that when the suspect’s room was searched, items recovered by the police included two calabashes with one containing human skull and the other, a mixture of dark concoction;
a plank stuck with nails and stained with blood; a pressing iron stained with blood; a white handkerchief with which he was suspected to have intended to use to scoop the victim’s blood; as well as a bottle containing oil and labelled ‘Back To Sender’.

“The Commissioner of Police calls on Lagosians to rise against all forms of crime and criminality,” the PPRO said, adding that the Command defeated the Badoo cult group with the help of people who provided credible and timely information to the police.
Oti also said that Edgal remarked that it was time to rout the street cult groups, as complacency would not be an option in the face of threat to peace and security posed by these nefarious associations.