ABEOKUTA—Men of Ogun State police command, Tuesday, uncovered a ritualist’s shrine at Eposo-Akaka, Isara, in Remo North Local Government of Ogun State with dismembered human parts suspected to be those of a female student of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Morenikeji Owolabi.
The shrine which was made with corrugated iron sheets in a cubicle form, contained boiled and smoked human parts.
Five suspected criminals allegedly involved in the act.
The boiled human parts, including liver, intestines and spleen in earthenware containers, was on a table and a well-laid arm chair, covered with cloth.
There were also bottles of palm oil and other liquid forms littering the floor, while knives and plates were also found inside.
Near the shrine was a small kitchen where something that looked like the victim’s heart was being smoked on fire outside.
A few metres away from the shrine were also decomposing legs of the victim dug out of the shallow grave where they were buried but the head of the victim and other parts such as breasts, hands, and vagina, among others, were not found.
The state commissioner of police, Valentine Ntomchukwu, who led a team of newsmen to the shrine located inside the forest, disclosed that the 21-year-old victim who hailed from Ekiti State but lived at Isara, was lured to the shrine by a herbalist, Femi Awise, who is currently on the run.
Ntomchukwu said the ritualist-turned cannibal is a native of Isara who lived at Jabata area of the rustic town.
He said investigation had commenced to unravel the circumstances that led to Morekeji’s murder and the motive behind it.
Ntomchukwu said the shrine was discovered through discreet investigation by his men, saying five persons, including a motorcyclist that took the victim to the shrine, had been arrested in connection with the murder.
The suspects include the Okada rider who conveyed her to the shrine, Adeyemi Ademolu, a suspected apprentice to Awise, Omolaso Taiwo, Lateef Ali, Akinyemi Dare, and Sokoya Wasiu.
He said: “We were able to locate the shrine through a discreet investigation by our men. We were able to track the Okada rider that took her on his motorcycle to the shrine.
“I would not know what would make some people to brutally cut down a girl in this manner. Five suspects have been arrested and investigation has commenced, we will leave no stone unturned to get the other fleeing suspects.
The shrine where the heinous crime took place.
“I am appealing to parents that it is not only enough to send their children to school, but they must do follow-up on them.”
During the commissioner of police’s visit to the scene, residents of Isara, Eposo and Ode Remo thronged the shrine of horror to catch a glimpse.
The motorcyclist confessed that he took the lady to the area but denied ever being aware of the existence of the shrine.
He said while conveying the victim to the shrine, she spoke with the said Awise twice on her mobile telephone, giving her direction.
The local government chairman, Femi Soyemi, expressed shock at the scary discovery.
“I was shocked because I never expected this kind of horrible and brutal thing exists here,” Soyemi said.
The victim was declared missing since Saturday, June 7, and it was those who saw her on the day she was being conveyed to the shrine by the Okada rider that gave the information, which led to his arrest, and final unravelling of the shrine.