Men of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 29-year-old herbalist, Baoku Gbuyi, and a 27-year-old bricklayer, Olamide Odulaja, for allegedly killing a housewife, Modupeola Folorunsho, and her four-year-old son, Peter, for a money-making ritual.
The suspects were arrested following a report by the head of the family, Abiola Folorunsho, that his wife and son were missing.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Oyeyemi said the bereaved husband lodged a complaint at the Ijebu-Igbo divisional police headquarters last week Sunday.
The PPRO added that Abiola complained that efforts to locate his wife and son, who went out together, did not yield any result.
According to Oyeyemi, upon the report, a case of missing persons was recorded and the Ijebu-Igbo Divisional Police Officer, SP Kazeem Solotan, detailed crack detectives to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of the victims.
“The detectives there and then embarked on a technical and intelligence-based investigation, which led them to the arrest of Olamide Odulaja at Ibadan, Oyo State.
“On interrogation, Olamide confessed that he and one herbalist abducted the victim and her son on February 13, 2021, and that the victim and her son were killed for money ritual at the house of the said herbalist.
“He stated further that it was the herbalist who burnt the woman’s head, which he used for him.
“Upon his confession, detectives went after the herbalist, who resides on Araromi Street, Japara Ijebu Igbo.
“On getting to his residence, it was discovered that the herbalist had taken to his heels having heard about the arrest of Olamide.
“Subsequently, all the adjoining divisions were alerted to be on the lookout for the fleeing suspect.
“He was eventually traced to Kajola village, where he was arrested by the DPO Awa Ijebu with the assistance of hunters and local vigilantes.
“On interrogation, the herbalist confessed that it was Olamide Odulaja who approached him for a money-making ritual, following which he asked him to bring the head of a human being as one of the materials to be used.
“He stated further that they both conspired to abduct the woman and her son and slaughtered them for that purpose.
“He confessed further that he burnt the woman’s head with some other herbal materials, which he gave to Olamide to use.
“When asked about the little boy, he said that his head and remains were dumped inside a pit latrine.”
Oyeyemi said the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, commended his men for their display of investigative intelligence.
He said the CP, who described the incident as the height of man’s inhumanity to man, warned those looking for a money-making ritual to desist, as only hard work backed with prayer, could lead to success.
