How We Killed, Dismembered, Sold Our Victim’s Body Parts For Ritual-Suspects
Seven persons suspected to be running a syndicate that specialises in killing people have confessed to killing, dismembering and selling the body parts of one of their victims for the purpose of money-making ritual.
The suspects made the confession in a statement following their arrest by detectives from Ogun State Police Command after they allegedly murdered one Sunday Okosun and selling his dismembered body parts for N51,000.
The seven suspects included Lekan Oladipupo, Sulaimon Aremu, Madru Ifayemi, Shittu Saheed, Sulaimon Samad, Akanji Moruf and Adekunle Tajudeen.
In his confessional statement, one of the suspects, Lekan who said he is a hunter, said he sighted and shot dead Sunday Okosun at a close range in the bush, one afternoon, with the intention to sell the dismembered body parts of his victim to those who need them.
He said, after putting the body parts, including the head, heart, two hands cut and a piece of flesh from his thigh, he took them to his contact, Sulaimon, who paid him a sum of N51,000.
It was learnt that the stump of the slain Sunday Okosun’s body was discovered by his brother, Abraham, who lodged a report with the Divisional Police Officer of Bode Olude Police Station, near Abeokuta, DSP Durojaye Rotimi.
The DPO thereafter reportedly visited the scene with his crack detectives and embarked on an investigation to unravel those behind the dastardly act.
In the course of the investigation, Lekan was the first one to be arrested, followed by his six other partners in crime who were allegedly involved in sale and purchase of the body parts.
During their reported confessions, the suspects disclosed the codenames they were using among themselves for each of the human parts sold and bought, saying they normally referred to the human head as a ball, the heart as transformer, and hands as fans.
The police recovered dangerous weapons from the suspects, including the gun and cutlass they were said to have used for the killing and dismemberment of their victims.
In his confession, Lekan Oladipupo said: “I am 38 years old, living at Bode Olude area of Abeokuta. I am a motorcycle rider, married and blessed with three children. It is true that I killed a human being. I was pushed into committing the act.
“It was Sulaimon who called me that his friends who are Muslim clerics (Afaa) needed body parts. We both belong to the hunters’ group. He said they needed the head, hands, heart and some pieces of flesh. It took some weeks before I could do the job.
“I went into the bush where we used to hunt for animals in the afternoon. It was close to the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB). As I was going, I sighted a man ahead of me standing and watching his bean plants. I aimed my barrel gun at him and shot him at close range.
“Immediately, I cut off his head, heart, hands and flesh from his thigh. I left the stump there, called Sulaimon and handed the parts to him.
“He paid me N20,000 for the head, N15,000 for the two hands, N11,000 for the heart and N5,000 for the piece of flesh. He gave me money the following day.
“It was a couple of weeks after that I saw the call of DPO Bode Olude, inviting me to the station. I was detained and when interrogated, I confessed to killing the victim. The police also got those who bought the body parts, except one who escaped.
“I killed the victim because of money that I would get from the assignment. I have never done such a thing before.”
Aremu Sulaimon, 29-year-old, said he has been practising as a native doctor, adding that he is also a Muslim and a member of the hunters’ group and saddled with the responsibility of setting dogs for their targeted preys.
“Aafa Saheed and Aafa Samad saw each other and said that they needed body parts. I told him that I didn’t have and Samad said the same thing.
“Later, I saw Saheed and he said that they needed two hands which made me introduce him to Lekan. They discussed. Tajudeen, Moruf and Ifayemi also met with me and said they needed body parts also for the money ritual.
“I asked each of them the parts they needed and Moruf said he would like to have the heart. Tajudeen said he needed the head, while Ifayemi needed part of the flesh.
“That was how Olalekan went to kill the victim, handed the body parts to me which I, in turn, gave to those who demanded them and collected money for the job. I was not given a kobo from the money paid to Lekan,” he said.
In his own confession, Sulaimon Samad (35), said: “Aafa Saheed is my friend. He asked me whether I had a ball (human head) or know where he could purchase it. I told him I had never used it and didn’t know where he could get it from.
“Not long after, Sulaimon came to get herbs and he exchanged numbers with Saheed. I didn’t know what they discussed. That was about three months ago before the police came to arrest me.
“I know that I made that mistake by not informing the police when my friend asked me about getting a human head. But I was never part of the plan of killing for ritual.”
Another member of the seven-man syndicate, Shittu Saheed (38), said: “I am an Aafa. I have never done such a thing before. It is true I referred to the human head as a ball. I also heard it somewhere and started using the code. I bought the hands for N15,000 to make money ritual in order to survive.”
Akanji Moruf (26), a native doctor, said: Sulaimon is my first cousin. After I initially told him I needed a human heart, it was five days after that he first called me and later brought the heart to my house when I didn’t respond to his calls.
“I told him I didn’t know the ritual to perform with it, but he persuaded me to buy it and I paid N11,000. I wanted to use the heart for the money ritual.
Another member of the group,Madru Ifayemi (25), said: “I am a native doctor. I didn’t ask others to kill a human being. It was Sulaimon who called and told me that he went hunting and they found a dead body. I also wanted to make money ritual.”
Adekunle Tajudeen (38) said: “I am a native doctor also. I caused calamity for myself as I only helped my friend, Saheed, to purchase the human head. And he has run away. Saheed had initially told me that he needed a human head.
“Moruf came to me and told me he was going to his cousin, Sulaimon. It was when we got there that he wanted to collect body parts. I asked for the cost of the head and was told it was N20,000. I called Saheed and he brought the money. We gave him the head.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, who confirmed the incident, described it as the height of man inhumanity to man.
He said the suspects have ben transferred to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for discreet further investigation after which they would be arraigned in court.
