Cleric Kills Five Persons For Money Rituals, Nabbed By Police

By Akinwale Kasali

If not for the vigilance of residents of the community in Moniya, Ibadan, Oyo State Capital, who smelt offensive odour oozing out of a building belonging to the 40-year-old Cleric, Police would not have had a clue of the heinous act taking place.

The Cleric, who lived elsewhere, was said to usually visit the House at odd hours, making residents suspicious of his activities.

Ayede, a resident of the area informed the Police of the suspicious activities of the Cleric, prompting the Police to swiftly swing into action.

Explaining in details the activities of the serial killer, the Oyo State Police Commissioner, CP Ayodele Sonubi, while parading the suspect in Ibadan, alongside eight suspected serial ritual killers and 15 others over alleged murder, robbery and rape, Sonubi said the Command got information about the act of one of the suspected serial ritual killers on August 10 when it was reported by one Ayede and immediately swung into action.

The Commissioner also said that the man usually visited the house at odd hours.

CP Sonubi said: “Operatives from Moniya Divisional Police Headquarters swung into action and moved to the scene, where a dry well was seen at the compound of the house.

“Upon close observation, gory sights of what had the semblance of mutilated human bodies were spotted inside the well.

“Eventually, the remains of three unidentified bodies were removed to the State Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.”

The CP said that the suspect was arrested, adding that aside from confessing to the crime, he also mentioned the names of some of his accomplices in the killing of people for money ritual, who were now at large.

Sonubi said that the suspect and others at large had in April lured a 28-year-old man to the same scene at Moniya, severed his head and legs, and sold them to two other suspects.

He said that the suspect further confessed that on August 7, he and others now at large stabbed a 17-year-old boy to death and severed his head and legs, which were sold to a female suspect for N70,000.

He added: “On August 11, at about 0630hrs, an execution of search warrant was conducted in the houses and premises of the suspects where the victim’s fresh flesh was recovered.

“In the course of the investigation, other suspects were arrested and they confessed that they bought different types of human parts for a money ritual from the 40-year-old suspect.”

In an interview, the suspect, who claimed to be an Islamic cleric, said that he started killing people for money rituals in 2024 and that he had killed no fewer than five people.

He said that he always collected N200,000 from anybody who gave him  money ritual job.

Exhibits recovered from the suspects included dried human skull, charm, 89 bags of cannabis sativa, motorcycle and cutlass, among others.