Police Arrests 8 Over Alleged Ritual Killing In Oyo

The Oyo State Police Command recently made a significant breakthrough in its ongoing battle against crime, arresting eight suspected serial ritual killers along with 15 other individuals linked to murder, robbery, and rape. The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Ayodele Sonubi, disclosed these developments while parading the suspects at the command's headquarters in Ibadan on Friday.

This unsettling case came to light on August 10 when a concerned resident, identified as Ayede, reported suspicious activities to the police. The focus quickly turned to a 40-year-old man who owned a property in the community but was rarely seen living there. According to reports, the man’s visits to the house were infrequent and often occurred at odd hours. What initially raised alarm among the residents was the foul odor emanating from the building—a stench that was impossible to ignore and sparked fears of something sinister.

Acting on the tip-off, officers from the Moniya Divisional Police Headquarters swiftly responded, heading to the scene to investigate. Upon arrival, they discovered a dry well within the compound, and what they found inside was nothing short of horrifying. Peering into the depths, the officers were met with the grisly sight of mutilated human remains—a shocking testament to the brutal crimes that had taken place there. "Upon close observation, gory sights of what had the semblance of mutilated human bodies were spotted inside the well," Commissioner Sonubi recounted, painting a vivid picture of the horror.

The police managed to retrieve the remains of three unidentified victims from the well, which were subsequently transferred to the State Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy. The investigation didn't stop there. The primary suspect was apprehended, and during interrogation, he not only confessed to the murders but also provided crucial information about his accomplices—some of whom are still at large.

According to Sonubi, this criminal syndicate has been operating with chilling efficiency. In April, the suspect and his cohorts allegedly lured a 28-year-old man to the same Moniya property, where they gruesomely severed his head and legs before selling the body parts to two other individuals involved in the ritual killings. This horrifying practice did not end there. Just last week, on August 7, the suspect admitted to another heinous act: the murder of a 17-year-old boy. The boy was brutally stabbed to death, his head and legs severed, and sold to a female suspect for the sum of N70,000.

The Commissioner emphasized that the investigation is far from over, as the police are now on an aggressive manhunt for the remaining accomplices who are still at large. The arrest of these suspects is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by ritualistic practices in certain communities, where the value of human life is reduced to mere commodities for profit.