The Osun State Police Command has apprehended two mortuary attendants in connection with the sale of human body parts and corpse water to suspected ritualists.
The suspects, 43-year-old Johnson Daniel and 42-year-old Adetunji Okunade, were arrested after a tip-off from a concerned citizen, leading to a broader investigation involving other alleged participants in ritualistic practices.
During a press briefing at the police headquarters in Osogbo on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, Acting Police Public Relations Officer Giwa-Alade Emmanuel detailed the arrests, stating that Johnson Daniel, a mortuary attendant in Ipetu-Ijesa, had been selling parts of human remains stored at the mortuary to native doctors for ritual purposes.
His accomplice, Adetunji Okunade, was also found to be involved in selling remnants of water used in bathing corpses to the same ritualists.
Several individuals connected to the crime were also arrested, including suspected ritualists Olaniyan Azeez, Balogun Temitope Asimiyu, Oladapo Hammed, Kazeem Rasak, and Asaka Rauf.
A search conducted at their residences led to the recovery of incriminating items such as a fragment of a human skull, a female undergarment, and a notebook containing ritual instructions.
“The said suspects use these remains gotten from the mortuary attendant, Johnson Daniel, for different ritual purposes,” said Emmanuel.
“Daniel also confessed to conspiring with Adetunji Okunade to sell corpse bath water to interested native doctors.”
In addition to the arrests connected to the ritualistic activities, police presented five other suspects—Taiwo Adekunle, Adebayo Opeyemi, Hasan Ibrahim, Oba Wasiu, and Olajide Oladapo—on charges of armed robbery.
Recovered items from this group include a Ford Jeep, a Hunter motorcycle, an iPhone, a magnet, and an empty shell cartridge.
The police assured the public that investigations into both cases are ongoing, with Emmanuel urging citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the authorities.
