The Oyo State Police Command says its operatives have arrested 11 suspects in possession of nine dry human skulls, one fresh human head, intestines, and other body parts in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Adewale Osifeso, made this known while briefing journalists in Ibadan on Thursday.
Osifeso, who disclosed that the suspects were arrested in their hideout at Orita-Aperin area of Ibadan, said 16 others were arrested in connection with alleged kidnapping and armed robbery.
He explained that discreet intelligence gathering carried out on February 22 by a police monitoring unit uncovered the criminal activities of the suspects.
The police spokesman said the suspects specialised in selling human skulls and other organs for ritual purposes, adding that they have all confessed to the crime upon interrogations.
Osifeso said the suspects confessed that the dry human skulls were harvested from corpses at burial grounds.
He said they also confessed that the fresh human head and other body organs were harvested from persons after being killed by their kingpin, identified simply as Amuludun, who is now at large.
Osifeso said investigation was in progress to arrest the fleeing suspects, adding that further developments would be communicated to the general public.
Meanwhile, one of the suspects and wife of the principal suspect now at large, said she knew her husband as an Islamic cleric and was suprised when the human skulls were found in his office.
She said she went to her husband’s office to collect money for foodstuffs when the police came and searched the office where the skulls were found.
The police spokesman stated that seven suspected armed robbers who invaded Felele area of Ibadan with guns and some other dangerous weapons were arrested.
Osifeso said the victims raised alarm when the armed robbers were fleeing, adding that the alarm attracted a police monitoring unit who arrested the suspects.
