40-year-old herbalist, Adebiyi Ogunyele, accused of being possessed by a spirit known as Jemego, was allegedly killed in an evil forest by Onigua of Iggua, Oba Talabi Dosunmu, and some chiefs in the Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Residents of the community said it is believed that anyone possessed by the spirit known as Jemego is a danger to his community.
According to PUNCH, a youth leader in the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the deceased was accused of using the spirit to kill infants.
He said, “Adebiyi’s brother, Oladele, said a particular chief called him and said Adebiyi was possessed by Jemego and that he would be dealt with.
“The next day, September 16, 2022, we heard that some men from the chief’s compound arrested Adebiyi and he was taken to the chief’s house, where he was tied to a pillar and tortured.
“Later, he was taken to the palace of Oba Talabi Dosunmu, the Onigua of Iggua, where he was further beaten and tortured and tied to a pillar.
“Oba Dosunmu, after accusing Adebiyi of causing evil in the community which led to the death of children, ordered that he should be taken to the community’s evil forest known as Igbo Oro, where he was killed. His body was disposed of at the Omilende area of Igbogila in Yewa North, with a finger missing from his corpse.”
The victim’s wife, Yemisi Ogunyele, said she was with her husband and four children on the night he was taken by the chief’s bodyguards.
She said, “That day, it was around 7pm and my husband just returned from his farm when some men entered our house and demanded that my husband should follow them as he was wanted at the chief’s compound.
“When I did not see him come back, I went to the chief’s house and there I saw them beating him while accusing him of causing the death of infants with his Jemego powers.
“I begged them and cried, but they refused to stop. The next day, September 17, they took him to the Oba’s palace, where he was beaten and tortured again after which they took him to Igbo Oro, where they killed him.
“I was running around, calling family members to come and help us because women are barred from entering Igbo Oro.”
Adebiyi’s mother, Ibiyemi, said the monarch should be held responsible for her son’s death.
A relative, Adesina Alabi, said the case was reported at the Eggua Police Station.
Oba Dosunmu, when contacted, said, “All these accusations against me over the death of Adebiyi, I know nothing about them. I did not order the killing of anyone. There was nothing of that sort.”
The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, had directed the homicide section to handle the case.
He said, “The case was reported by the victim’s brother to the police at Eggua Police Station and since then we have not seen him. The CP has directed the homicide section to take charge of the case.
“Our men went to the palace and investigated, but the complainant was nowhere to be found for arrest to occur because we want more information from him.
“The absence of the complainant is what has stalled the progress of investigation by the police.
“It is rather unfortunate that the family of the deceased have gone ahead to bury the corpse when we have not conducted an autopsy. This is one of the troubling issues here.”
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