Four arrested over murder of Osun woman for money rituals

• The complaint lodged by the deceased son led to the arrest of Oyekanmi and other suspects, the police said

The Police in Osun State say four suspects have been apprehended for allegedly killing a 45-year-old woman in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The woman was said to have gone missing last month after she reportedly visited one Onifade Oyekanmi whom the son of the deceased claimed was a herbalist and knew about the disappearance of his mother

The deceased identified as Aminat Usman became unreachable on her phone as it was switched off.

The complaint lodged by the deceased son led to the arrest of Oyekanmi and other suspects, the police said.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola, who disclosed this during the parade of the suspects in Osogbo on Friday.

“On March 18, a complainant reported at Apomu Division that on March 13, at about 10 am, his mother, Aminat Usman, 45, left home for lyana Ajia-Ibadan, Oyo State, to pay a visit to Onifade Oyekanmi. He stated that since his mother left home, her cell phones were switched off, her whereabouts were unknown and he strongly suspected that the said Oyekanmi, who is an herbalist, knew about his mother’s disappearance.

“Onifade Oyekanmi was subsequently arrested and the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Osogbo, Osun, for further and discreet investigation,” she said.

According to the police spokesperson, the suspect’s confession led to the arrest of three others, all of whom had confessed about the individual roles they played in their sinister effort to use the victim for a ritual for money.

“Thereafter, search warrants were executed on the houses and premises of the suspects, where three bottles containing black substances suspected to be burnt human parts, two cutlasses, a big black clay pot and some black soaps were recovered,” the police spokesperson said.

She further said that a female neighbour of one of the suspects, who helped him conceal his share of the powdery substance, was arrested but was later granted administrative bail because she is nursing a four-month-old baby