The Ota area of Ogun State is becoming a hotbed for ritualism in the western part of Nigeria; and as a result, residents now live in fear of these ritualists who are being arrested almost weekly by residents of the area and as law-enforcement agents.
This year, the area has witnessed at least eight cases. Last week, for example, a woman who had often pretended to be insane was caught with a human head.
It was learnt that the woman, who loves mucking people, wears rags and carries condemned materials about to give the impression that she has a mental problem, was arrested by some commercial motorcycle riders in the area.
Huhuonline.com learnt that that woman, while perambulating with a bag around a busy area of the community, allegedly went to a corner, brought out a phone and started making a call.
She was immediately trailed by a motorcycle rider, who pretended to be easing himself. The motorcycle rider said he overheard the woman asking the recipient of her call to come and “pick their thing because it was smelling”.
He therefore quickly alerted his colleagues who caught the woman, searched her bag and brought out the human head. She has since been handed over to the Police.
In another development on Saturday, a team of police officers from Ogun State Police Command and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos Police Command jointly arrested five suspects in the Joju area of the same Ota, Ogun State with human heads and pieces of human flesh.
It was learnt that the Police was able to make the arrest, following serious complaints by people living in the area. The Lagos and Ogun Commands had begun their investigation into the complaints, which led to the arrests of the suspects.
According to the Ogun Police Command, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ota Division, CSP Gabreal Idibie led the team of operatives who assisted the men of SARS, Lagos, who had the first hand information about the ritualists based in Joju.
According to the Police, the arrested suspects are Kubura Salami, Tantolorun Abimbola, Kafaya Popoola, Wahid Ibrahim and Adamu Rafiu.
Following the successful arrests, Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ikemefuna Okoye ordered that the case be handed over to SARS, Lagos for investigation since it is a follow-up to an ongoing investigation with the SARS officials.
He also asked his men to cooperate with the SARS officials in the investigation into the case, while urging the residents of the state to be very observant and report any suspicion.
As a result of insecurity in the area, most streets now have local vigilantes manning them.
Some residents told Huhuonline.com that many areas of Ota are very dangerous at night and must need extreme care for one to manoeuvre through.
