8 in police net for ritual killings, exhuming dead bodies from cemetery

Nigeria Police have arrested eight suspects believed to be behind series of killings of innocent persons for rituals in Ilorin the Kwara State Capital.

The Police said the suspects who are also engaged in exhuming the remains of buried dead bodies from graves in Ilorin and environs had 11 human skulls in their possession at the time of arrest.

The suspects are: Azeez Yakub a.k.a Baba Muri –principal suspect, Abdulrasaq Babamale, Aishat Yunisa, Lukman Saka, Ahmed Yahaya a.k.a Eko, Abdulfatai Kadri a.k.a (Adedoyin) – Vigilante Commander, Adeta Zone, Ilorin,Soliu Ayinde a.k.a Baba Fawasi and Abdulganiyu Bamidele.

A statement signed by the force spokesman, DCP Jimoh Moshood said that other items found in their possession were human bones, powder suspected to be pounded human bones, human Hair and charms.

Moshood also said the arrest of the suspects followed several complaints received at the ‘D’ Divisional Police Headquarters, Adewole, Ilorin Kwara State on cases of missing persons, kidnapping, murder, killings for rituals, and exhuming of dead bodies.

According to him, a search conducted on one Azeez Yakub’s house located at No. 20 Ile Opa Adeta Compound, Ilorin lead to the discovery 11 human skulls, some pieces of human bones, human hairs, and powder suspected to be grinded human bones and charms.

Further investigations by the Special Team of the IGP Monitoring Unit led to the arrest of seven other suspects, namely: Azeez Yakub, Abdulrasaq Babamale, Aishat Yunisa, Lukman Saka, Ahmed Yahaya, Abdulfatai Kadri a.k.a (Adedoyin) – Vigilante Commander, Adeta Zone, Ilorin, Soliu Ayinde a.k.a Baba Fawasi, Abdulganiyu Bamidele.

According to the police the suspects have in their voluntary statements confessed to have sold 31 human heads to some personalities in Ilorin and other towns in Kwara State as well as their customers from contiguous states to Kwara State.

Moshood noted that Azeez Yakub a.k.a Baba Muri who is the principal suspect is a notorious armed robber who has served several jail terms in prison.

The principal suspect confessed that Abdulfatai Kadri has brought to him human skulls that he exhumed from the Ilorin Community Central Burial ground situated after Id-praying ground in Ilorin, Kwara State.

He further admitted that Abdulfatai Kadri a.k.a (Adedoyin) usually brings in the human heads to him in batches of Four, six , Eight for safe keeping and usually collect them within a day or two, and also informed him of the personalities in Ilorin and other he usually supply the heads to.

Abdulrasaq Babamole was equally mentioned by the Principal suspect, Azeez Yakub to have bought one human skull from him.

All the suspects would soon be charged to court.