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From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Crimes happen everywhere in the world. From the developed to the developing, and even underdeveloped world, human society has been grappling with various criminality since time immemorial. In fact, no society is immune to insecurity.
For over a decade now, Nigeria has been battling with banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, cultism, ritual killings and insurgency.
In Ogun State, crime rate in recent times has soared, with killing for ritual purposes leading the pack. The state is having its fair share of kidnappings, herders/farmers’ clashes and other crimes, but the rise in ritual killings has raised concerns within and outside Ogun.
Everyone in the state woke up to a shocker on January 29, when four teenagers killed a girl, severed her head and burnt it for ritual purposes.
The victim, Rofiat, a girlfriend to one of the boys, Soliu Majekodunmi, was murdered with the intention of using her for money-making rituals. The suspects, when paraded at the Ogun State police headquarters, confessed that they got information on money-making ritual from a Facebook page.
As the state was still grappling with the gory incident, a couple was nabbed two weeks later for being in possession of fresh human body parts. The couple, Kehinde Oladimeji, 43, and Adejumoke Raji, 35, residents of 72, MKO Abiola Way, Leme, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, were arrested by the police following a report lodged at Kemta Divisional Headquarters by a community leader.
Kehinde later confessed during interrogation that his wife, Adejumoke, singlehandedly killed her friend who came to pay them a visit and dismembered her. He added that they both agreed to sell the victim’s head to a herbalist based in Ibadan for N70,000.
On February 13, irate youths set two men ablaze after being caught in possession of a fresh human head at Oja-Odan, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The suspects, Idowu Afolabi and Johnson Adebiyi, had earlier been arrested and detained at Oja Odan Police Station on February 12. However, some youths were said to have stormed the police cell and dragged out the two suspected ritualists.
A source who spoke to our correspondent said: “The youths caught the two men with a fresh human head. The police came to take the suspects away. But about an hour later, the youths said the killers must be dealt with immediately. That was why they mobilised in their hundreds to the police station in Oja Odan.
“The youths forced themselves into the police cell, dragged the suspects to an open space in front of the police station and set them on fire.”
Meanwhile, the Ogun State police public relations officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, condemned what he described as “unlawful killing and setting ablaze” of the suspected ritualists.
Worried by the rise in killing and dismembering of human beings for ritual purposes, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has vowed to deal, according to the law, with anyone found culpable in ritual killings and other criminal activities.
Particularly disturbed by the involvement of youngsters in the dastardly act, which, according to him, called for concern, he said the development was giving the state a different coloration.
The governor said: “I am always traumatised beyond words when I hear of our youth’s involvement in the spate of killings and dismembering of human beings for ritual purposes. I am particularly scandalized these young ones, teenagers, are being fingered as perpetrators of these dastardly acts. Let me use this opportunity to solicit the support of our traditional rulers, parents, teachers, heads of various institutions of learning, community leaders, religious leaders and indeed all of us, to always preach and act as a good moral compass and mentors to our children and youths. Money should not be the sole determinant of success. Integrity should count more. But, let me also warn that we shall deal decisively with anyone involved in any heinous crime, in accordance with the relevant laws. There is no compromise on this. Ogun State is known over the years for being at the vanguard of ‘Omoluabi’ ethos. I wonder when this malady became the norm.”
Apart from ritual killings, the state has continued to witness other crimes such as rape, kidnapping and murder.
On February 17, a woman identified as Ramota Soliu reportedly killed her husband, Bello Soliu, at a Fulani settlement in Iyana Ilewo, Abeokuta North Local Government Area of the state. Ramota was said to have poured hot water on Bello, which eventually led to his death.
The woman, whose six-year relationship with Bello produced two kids, was said to have fled her house at the Fulani settlement after the incident.
It was learnt that Bello had earlier invited some relatives to help in talking to his wife, who he said was fond of starving him and an Arabic student living with them. The woman allegedly woke up the next morning, boiled water and bathed her husband with the scalding liquid.
Usman Soliu, a brother to the deceased, said: “My brother had always complained about Ramota. She had a habit of starving him and one Arabic student living with them. Sometimes, she would not serve my brother food too.
“For peace to reign, Bello invited us to talk to his wife. People waded in on Friday, talked to her, but she didn’t say anything in response.
“Very early on Saturday morning, she woke up and started boiling water. People thought she wanted to make Amala or ogi. The water was on fire for like one hour. All of a sudden, we heard a loud noise from her husband’s quarters where he was sleeping.
“We rushed down to see what was happening, and we discovered that the woman had bathed our brother with the water she boiled. His body was already peeling. We rushed him to a hospital at Rounder, in Abeokuta, but he was rejected. We took him somewhere else. He eventually died on Tuesday evening.”
On February 23, a pastor in charge of Life and Power Bible Church, Ogijo, Matthew Oladapo, was arrested by men of the Ogun State Police Command for having unlawful carnal knowledge of a 19-year-old member of the church.
It was alleged that the pastor, in the guise of delivering her from a spiritual husband, asked her to remove her clothes and he started rubbing the “anointing oil” all over her body and inserted his finger into her private parts. When she protested, the pastor pinned her down, covered her mouth and raped her with the claim that it was the only way to break the bond between her and the spirit husband.
On interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime but claimed to have been overwhelmed by evil spirits.
Still in Ogun State, Bola Agbedimu and Akinyemi Thomas were arrested on February 14 and 17, respectively, for being in possession of fake naira notes and impersonation of a police inspector.
Adebola Ayeni, a civil engineer, attributed the rise in crimes, particularly ritual killings to avarice on the part of the youths. According to him, materialism has become the order of the day and people are ready to do everything to get money.
He advised parents to monitor their children and inculcate good moral values in them.
For Akanji Ayoade, a commercial farmer, moral decadence and preaching of wrong values have contributed to the rising spate of crime. He added that the younger ones were involved in ritual killings because they wanted to get rich without a dint of hard work.
Ayoade called on the state government to come out with stringent measures to combat the menace.
A private school owner, Mrs. Dorcas Alabi, advocated moral education to be included in the education curriculum, while religious leaders should intensify their efforts in making sure the right messages are preached at places of worship.
