A suspected murderer and ritualist has been arrested by police in Nigeria’s Ogun State, days after his twin brother was arrested.
Kehinde Yemitan was arrested in Ilogbo Ota area of the state, the Ogun State Police Command said on Tuesday.
His twin brother, Taiwo, was arrested on December 22 alongside one Kazeem for murdering and dismembering a commercial sex worker identified as Darasimi.
The victim was reportedly lured to the criminal’s residence and eventually killed.
Kehinde, who was one of the accomplices, had been on the police watch list until his arrest.
Police spokeswoman Omolola Odutola stated that the police surveillance team, in collaboration with the state local security outfit So Safe Corps, were on the lookout for Kehinde until intelligence gave out his hideout on Monday.
“On December 30, 2024, at about 5 pm, the Divisional Police Officer of Sango Ota received a tip from a volunteer informant indicating that Kehinde Yemitan, the twin brother of Taiwo Yemitian, was hiding in the Ilogbo community,” Odutola said.
“The Police launched a manhunt for Kehinde in connection with murder and the mutilation of the head of one Darasimi, surname unknown, on December 22, 2024, when his twin brother Taiwo Yemitan and Kazeem were arrested at about 1:40 am by the Divisional Police Officer of Lafenwa after the duo lured their victim, Darasimi, a night sex worker in Abeokuta, to their house for ritual purposes.
“Following this information, a surveillance team, in collaboration with the So Safe Corps, promptly mobilised to the community and apprehended the suspect.
“He admitted to conspiring with others to carry out the crime in Abeokuta. Several community members also confirmed his involvement in criminal activities.”
The police spokeswoman confirmed that the suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation.
Nigeria is presently grappling with a sinister phenomenon that has already claimed countless lives and left families devastated.
Ritual killing, driven by the belief that human body parts can be used for sudden wealth and power to manipulate and control, has become a scary reality in the country. This heinous practice, which is usually glossed over as a folktale until one falls victim, is an affront to human dignity and a blight on our collective conscience.
Some individuals believe that human organs and body parts possess spiritual powers that can bring lasting wealth, success, and protection. This belief is perpetuated by false narratives and superstitions by dishonest individuals.
Recent data suggests that the problem is escalating.
Nigeria is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with skyrocketing inflation, a national currency in free-fall and millions of people struggling to survive.
Poverty, unemployment, and a lack of education create an environment where desperate individuals are preyed upon by unscrupulous ritualists.
Yoruba elders under the aegis of Kaaro Oojiire ÌmÍ Oodua Foundation (KOOOF) had expressed worry over the rising cases of ritual killing and human body parts harvesting in the south-western region of Nigeria.
The Yoruba elders, in a statement by their Vice President/Diaspora Counsel, Gbenga Adewusi, wondered how cases of human decapitation and harvesting of human bodies have now become a daily occurrence.
The group insisted that something urgent needed to be done to bring the scourge to a halt.
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