January 28, (THEWILL) – Operatives of the Ogun State Community, Social Orientation, and Safety Corps (So-Safe Corps) have arrested a middle-aged man, Oriyomi Adelani, while allegedly attempting to exhume a human skull for a money ritual in Kere, Obada-Oko, Abeokuta.
The suspect was apprehended during a routine patrol by So-Safe officers in the Obada-Oko area.
Confirming the arrest in a statement on Tuesday, the So-Safe Corps spokesperson, Moruf Yusuf, said the suspect, aged 54, was caught digging up a tomb behind a church in the area.
“Our officers observed the suspect engaging in suspicious activity on a piece of land behind a church. After leaving briefly, he returned to continue digging up a tomb, allegedly to retrieve a human skull. He was apprehended before he could escape,” Yusuf explained.
Yusuf disclosed that Adelani, a resident of Kere, Obada-Oko in Ewekoro Local Government Area, confessed to the crime during interrogation.
“The suspect admitted that on January 18, 2025, he exhumed a skull from a tomb near his residence. He further confessed that the retrieved skull was hidden in his room, and he was caught while attempting to retrieve another skull to complete the number required for a ritual known as Osole,” Yusuf added.
The suspect also admitted to being a repeat offender. According to the So-Safe spokesperson, Adelani confessed to selling nearly ten skulls in the past.
“He revealed he had previously served two years in prison for a similar offense committed in Ado-Odo and later spent six years and nine months at the Oba Correctional Center for another conviction in Obada-Oko,” Yusuf said.
The Corps Commander, Soji Gonzallo, confirmed that the suspect, along with the recovered exhibit—a fully dried human skull—has been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force at the Obada Divisional Headquarters for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Gonzallo called on community leaders to thoroughly screen tenants and visitors to curb criminal activities.
“Vigilance in identifying and reporting undesirable individuals can ensure up to 70% of home security, while the remaining 30% relies on alertness to external threats,” he said.
