A shrine believed to be a den for ritualists has been uncovered in Agungun, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Twenty persons were evacuated by men of the Oyo State Police Command, who raided the shrine following intelligence report.
The discovery attracted scores of residents of the community, as the inmates, many of whom looked skinny and malnourished, were rescued and taken into custody by the police.
The owner and operator of the shrine, Alfa Oloore, as he is fondly called, has been arrested and detained for questioning.
According to some of the residents who spoke with our correspondent, Alfa Oloore, who claimed to be a spiritualist and a healer, has been operating the shrine for many years.
They described the shrine as a den of ritualists and kidnappers, where unsuspecting victims were kept for ritual purposes.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Gbenga Fadeyi confirmed raid and the arrest of the operator as well as the evacuation of the inmates by the police.
Fadeyi, a Superintendent of Police (SP), stated that the truth about whether the shrine is a den for ritualists and kidnappers was yet to be determined until the police conclude investigation into the matter.
He said: “I can confirm that there was arrest of the owner of the shrine where many inmates were recovered. But, some people came later to the police station to say they were the ones who gave their children to the owner of the shrine, who they also claimed to be a spiritualist.
“In fact, some of those recovered from the shrine had issues, some behave like drug addicts, some like mentally deranged and so on. But what the police want to do is to embark on thorough investigation into the matter and come up with a report.”
