The Osun State Police Command has arrested several suspects in separate operations for unlawful possession of firearms and human remains as part of measures to ensure a safe and peaceful Christmas and New Year celebration in the state.
The arrests were disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, who said the operations were carried out under the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, and were driven by intelligence targeting black spots and criminal hideouts.
According to the statement, one Alarape Wasiu of the Olorunsogo community in the Panada area of Ikire was arrested on December 16 during a police operation for allegedly being in possession of an unlicensed single-barrel gun and three live cartridges.
The suspect was said to have failed to give a satisfactory explanation for the possession of the firearm, prompting an extension of the investigation to his village at Baralola via Ikire, where another single-barrel gun was recovered.
“A painstaking investigation was extended to his village at Baralola via Ikire, where another single barrel gun was recovered from same suspect; these guns are used to terrorize Ikire and environs,” the command stated.
In another operation on December 3, the police arrested three suspects — Taiwo Ogunbode, 47; Thomas Ogo, 52; and Lateef Afeez, 30 — at Ile-Ogbo in Iwo following intelligence reports that they were in possession of human parts.
Items recovered from the suspects included “two plastics containing human skin, a white gown used to bury a corpse, two dried bones suspected to be human, 21 pieces of teeth suspected to be human, four horns wrapped with red cloth, three small nylons containing suspected human hair, one small knife, substance suspected to be Indian hemp, and cash sum of ₦127,000.”
Ojelabi said the suspects confessed to exhuming corpses from a Muslim cemetery at the Gaa-Fulani area of Ile-Ogbo with the intention of using the human parts for money-making rituals.
“The suspects confessed to the crime and admitted to have exhumed the human parts from the corpse at a Muslim Cemetery located at Gaa-fulani Area, Ile-Ogbo with the intent of using the parts for money making rituals. Investigation revealed that, the syndicate specialized in exhuming corpse from cemetery for criminal reason.
“All suspects will be charged to Court after the completion of the investigations,” the statement concluded.