The Nigeria Police Force has said it arrested eight suspected ritual
killers, including a woman with 11 human skulls in Ilorin, Kwara
state.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, disclosed this at a
news conference in Abuja.
He listed the suspects as: Azeez Yakubu, principal suspect, Ahmed
Yahaya, Abdulfatai Kadri (Vigilante Commander), Aishat Yunisa, Lukman
Saka, Abdulganiyu Bamidele, Soliu Ayinde and Abdulrasaq Babamle.
Mr Moshood said items recovered from the suspects included 11 human
skulls, human bones, powder suspected to be human bones, human hair
and some charms.
He said that the arrest followed complaints to the police in Ilorin of
missing persons, kidnappings, and killings for ritual purposes.
The spokesman said that upon the arrival of the police joint
investigation team in Ilorin on October 5, Yakubu, the principal
suspect, was arrested after a search was conducted in his No. 20 Ile
Opa residence.
He added that “during the search, 11 human skulls, some pieces of
human bones, human hair and powder suspected to be grounded human
bones and charms were recovered in the house.”
Mr Moshood said that the suspects were also involved in exhuming dead
bodies from graves in the community and removing their vital body
parts for sale to prominent personalities.
“The suspects confessed and admitted to have sold 31 human heads to
some personalities in Ilorin and other towns in the state and other
states,” he said.
The officer added that all the suspects made confessional statements
to the police on the various roles they played in the crime.
He said that investigation was ongoing and efforts were being made to
arrest other suspects mentioned by the suspects who were still at
large.
The spokesman added that the suspects would be arraigned on completion
of investigation.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Yakubu said Mr Kadri had brought 20 human
skulls that he exhumed from the Ilorin community central cemetery.
He said that he usually brings them in batches of four, six, and eight
for safe keeping and collects them within a day or two.
Mr Yakubu said that Mr Kadri also informed him of personalities in
Ilorin and other parts of the state that he supplies the parts to.
(NAN)
