The Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja has arrested a doctor and his nurses for the murder of a day-old baby.
Investigation revealed that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, received information that a native doctor and nurses at a certain hospital along Olaniyan Street, Alagbado, Lagos allegedly murdered a day-old baby and were about to use the baby for money making ritual before the police swooped on them.
Manko ordered the Officer-in-Charge of SARS, Abba Kyarri, to look into the matter.
Kyarri and a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ade Adetarami, stormed the area and arrested the two nurses – Bola Fagbemi, 38; and Yinka Lasisi, 30.
The nurses work at Ikeoluwa Trado-Medical Clinic, 31, Kayode Olaniyan Street, AIT Road, Ayetobi, Alagbado, Lagos.
One Rilwan Saula, 39, an Alfa and leader of the syndicate, was also arrested.
Saula was used as a bait to nab Alhaji Surajudeen Faronbi, 50; Taofeek Abidakun, 49; and Akindele Majiagbe, 50.
Saula was alleged to be the person who used to approach the two nurses and negotiate for the purchase of the babies.
None of the suspects had, however, owned up to murdering the baby discovered in their possession or any other baby.
Investigation revealed that Saula specialises in the sale of human parts and herbs and had been in the business for over six years.
A police source said: “A woman delivered in the traditional home and the baby allegedly died within 24 hours.
“One of the nurses called Bola was said to have carried the dead baby and handed it over to Saula.
“Information was received by the police and Saula was arrested in possession of the dead day-old baby.
“Saula led the police to where the baby was delivered and the doctor and the two nurses were arrested.
“Further investigations revealed that the hospital has only three staff.
“The staff are the doctor and the two nurses.”
Detectives learnt that one of the suspects, Faronbi, bought three heads from Saula.
“It was through Faronbi’s confession that the police arrested Taofeek, also an Alfa. Another suspect, Majiagbe, bought human hands from Saula.
Narrating how he came to be a guest at SARS, Saula said: “I sell herbs at the Ijaiye Ojokoro main market.
“But I have stopped selling herbs since 2005.
“It was when I was selling herbs that I dealt in human parts.
“Last month, two men came to me and said they needed human heads.
“I told them I was not into selling of human heads anymore.
“But they insisted and even gave me N20,000.
“They started disturbing me.”
According to Saula, it was during that period, while he was struggling to resist temptation, that he received a call from one of the nurses to come and collect a dead baby.
His words: “This nurse (Bola) called me that a baby died and that the mother gave the corpse to them to throw away for her.
“I asked her to bring the baby so that I could give those who paid me.
“I did not know that the buyers were police informants.”
Fagbemi, a mother of four, said she did not commit any crime.
“According to her, her only crime was in attempting to give the dead baby a befitting Muslim burial.
Fagbemi said: “I started working in the hospital on February 6, 2014.
“I’m an apprentice in the hospital, learning to become a traditional nurse.
“I was given the baby to throw away.
“It was a baby girl.
“I gave it to Saula.
“I know him as an Alfa and he used to treat me sometimes.
“I gave him the baby to bury because she was a Muslim baby.
“He did not offer me any money.”
Taofeek, who described himself as a spiritualist, said: “I’ve been transacting business with Saula, but not on human parts.
“Our transaction was usually on buying and selling of chameleons, vultures, other birds and snakes.
“He had never sold human parts to me.
“I’ve known him at Agege market for close to six or seven years now.
“He used to assist me with apprentices.”
Asked if Saula gave him N15,000 for procurement of human heads, Taofeek said: “I did not asked him for any human heads.
“What I asked for were birds.
“I use birds like vultures for treatment of epilepsy and stomach problems.”
Farombi narrated his own story: “I’m an herbalist.
“Some years back, I used to buy herbs at Agege.
“Saula was my customer.
“I used to patronize him for my healing herbs.
“Back then, I had a patient who had an incurable wound.
“Saula brought some human parts to me.
“I used it to cure the sickness.
“I bought it from him between N4,500 and N5,000.
“I bought the human parts only twice from him.
“This was about nine years ago.
“I don’t understand why Saula is saying this thing happened last year, instead of nine years ago.”
Lasisi said she is a trado-medical nurse and had been for about nine years now.
She revealed the extent of her involvement in the crime.
She said: “Police arrested me because a woman delivered in our clinic and the baby died.
“I called the father of the baby but he said I should call the father of his wife.
“When I called the woman’s father, he said that he did not know any cemetery where he could bury the baby.
“The man discussed with Bola and begged her to assist him dispose the baby.
“When our boss came to the clinic, he told us that he does not allow people or his staff to throw away babies in his hospital.
“Our boss handed over the baby to a lady from the family of the deceased and Bola joined her.
“Later, Bola collected the baby, saying she would help her throw away the baby.
“I was surprised when I saw policemen around 10pm with Bola.
“They came and arrested everyone.”
Majiagbe, a father of three, said that he is a bricklayer and was arrested because Saula mentioned his name, not because he was guilty of any crime.
His words: “I was arrested because Saula, a.k.a Aruwo, mentioned my name among the people he sold human parts to.
“He prepared soap for me so that my business would improve.
“I paid him N18,000.
“I did not know that he uses human parts for his charms.
“This was in 2012.
“I had not set eyes on him until I saw him with the police some days ago.”
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