photo: Human parts syndicate busted in Lagos

Operatives of  the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja, Lagos have smashed a syndicate that specialize in selling human parts, Vanguard reports. 

The 3 suspects whose names were given as Mustapha Muritala, Sunday Oluyeba and Adenike Olanrewaju, were arrested at the Ojumerin area of Sagamu, Ogun State following a tip off. Recovered from the suspects were two human skulls suspected to have been procured from a graveyard.

When interrogated, one of the suspects, 42 year old Herbalist Mustapha Murtala, said he ventured into the business two years ago following an offer of N30,000 for a human skull. Continue...

"I am a herbalist from Sagamu, Ogun State. I was introduced to human parts business by one Sunday Oluyeba I knew through my friends, Olanipekun and Kazim, three years ago. My friends asked me to get  native birds called eyeoshi and eyeoke, and I succeeded in getting them. They later came and requested a human head with an offer of N30,000. They said they wanted to use it to prepare concoction for a pregnant woman in labour . They told me they also use human parts to prepare concoction for women who have difficulty in getting pregnant. What they do is to grind the human skull, mix it with water and give to the woman to drink. Such concoction cleanses the stomach, after which she would become pregnant. Sunday brought the human head and I paid him N15,000 for it. This is the second time I am buying a human skull from him. I do not know where he got them from.”

Recounting how he was arrested, Mustapha said 

“I was going about my herbal business when a man came and demanded human skull. As I handed the nylon where I kept it to him, some men I later discovered to be policemen swooped on me. I have never killed anyone in my life.” he said

After his arrest, he was made to put a call across to his  partner in crime, Oluyeba, demanding a human head. Oluyeba, who was indisposed, instructed one of his herbalist friends, Baba Beji, to go for the supply. He was arrested when he got there.

Further investigations by police led to the arrest of another suspect in Sagamu. The suspect, Juwon Olarewaju, another herbalist, reportedly fled on sighting policemen and his wife, Mrs Olarewaju was arrested instead.

34 year old Mrs Olarewaju, said she was shocked to find out her husband was involved in such a trade. She said; 

“I have been married to Juwon  for five years and we have two children. My husband is a herbalist but I didn’t know he was dealing in human parts. I was arrested in my house at about 2am over the weekend. I swear, I didn’t know anything about all these. I was arrested because my husband whom they came to arrest ran away. These people implicated my husband in the matter; they said my husband supplied them with a human head.” she said

Police say the suspects will soon be charged to court.