The police in Ogun State have uncovered a shrine in Ode-Remo, Remo North Local Government Area where human flesh are allegedly eaten, sold and used for rituals.
The arrested five suspects in connection with the crime.
Decomposing body parts suspected to be that of a missing female student of Science Laboratory Technology Department at the Gateway Polytechnic, Saapade, Morenikeji Owolabi, were found dismembered at the shrine.
The state Commissioner of Police, Val Ntomchukwu, who led reporters to the shrine located in Eposo area of Ode-Remo, said the prime suspect, who is an herbalist, identified as Femi Awise, is still at large.
Ntomchukwu disclosed that five suspects, including a commercial motorcyclist that conveyed the victim to the scene, have been arrested and would be arraigned in court upon the completion of police investigation.
The suspects, who were detained at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Isara-Remo, include Adeyemi Ademolu, 29; Lateef Ali, 23; Dare Akinyemi, 22; Wasiu Sotola, 23; and Taiwo Omolaso, 22.
When New Telegraph visited the scene on Tuesday evening, it was a gory sight as human flesh that were butchered into pieces and apparently cooked were seen in one black pot, while the right limb of the victim was seen in a nearby shallow grave.
The stench oozing from the place did not stop scores of people in the town and its environs to throng the shrine to catch a glimpse of the police discovery.
According to the police commissioner, the 21-year-old female student was conveyed to the crime scene on June 6 by a commercial motorcyclist (Ademolu) but the police discovered the shrine on Monday upon receiving information about the incident.
Ntomchukwu appealed to members of the public to always volunteer information to the police, noting that if the command had got report on time, it could have nipped the crime in the bud.
He said: “Through discreet investigation and information, we were able to trace the missing girl to this particular shrine, where the native doctor and other suspects conspired, abducted the girl, came here and dismembered her for ritual purposes.
“What we want to tell the public is that they should monitor the movement of their wards and children, especially when they are left to be in school and other public institutions. They should always keep watch over their children, call them regularly and where they don’t see them, they should quickly report to the police.
“If we had received this report on time, we would have been able to trace this lady. By the time we got the report, we now started scouting for information, only to arrest the okada man (motorcyclist) that brought her to this particular place.
“It was from that okada man that we were able to know that she was taken to this area and by discreet investigation, we were able to discover this shrine. We don’t know how long this shrine has been in existence but we assure you that this particular nefarious activity would be put to an end.”
The police boss urged members of the community to be watchful and always cooperate with the police by providing information that would expose suspected criminals.
But speaking with New Telegraph, all the suspects arrested in connection with the crime denied involvement in it.
Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of Remo North Local Government Area, Hon. Femi Soyemi, described it as “shocking”.
Soyemi said: “I was shocked because I least expected that this sort of brutal behaviour could crop up within this area. It’s the rudest shock I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve not seen somebody being murdered in this way and being cooked.
“The lady is not from this community. I was made to understand that the lady was from Ekiti but she was schooling within this community, which is Gateway Polytechnic, Saapade.”
New Telegraph.
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