Two brothers, Ayomide and Gbenga Babatunde, have been detained by officers of the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly kidnapping a mother and her nine-year-old son for ritual purposes.
This was revealed in a statement on Friday by the state’s police public relations officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi.
According to Oyeyemi, the suspects were detained on Friday as a result of information that police officers at the Oja-Odan divisional headquarters had received.
The two brothers were negotiating over the phone to sell a human being for a money-making ritual, either in parts or alive, depending on the buyer’s preferences.
He said; “The supposed buyer, one Jacob Olorunto, then informed the Baale of the community about the intention of the suspects, and the Baale quickly informed the police.
“The supposed buyer was advised by the police to play along with them in order to save the would be victim.
“On the 27th of December 2022, the suspects called the supposed buyer Jacob Olorunto and informed him that they have two human beings, a woman and her male child for sale.
“They negotiated and settled for six hundred thousand naira (#600,000) as the price for the two persons.
“On the 29th of December 2022, one of the suspects, Ayomide Babatunde went to Ilaro and lured his 45 years old woman friend by name, Taye Oluwole, to follow him to Oja odan with her nine years old son, Remilekun Oluwole, in order to celebrate New year with his father.
“The woman innocently agreed to follow him, and along the road, they stopped over to pick the second suspect, Gbenga Babatunde.
“The two suspects from there, took the victims to Igbo Obe area of Oja-Odan to meet the supposed buyer Jacob Olorunto, but they were rounded up by policemen in collaboration with some youths in the area at about 12:30 midnight, while the woman and her son were rescued.
“The two suspects have confessed to the commission of the crime.”
Meanwhile, the commissioner of police, Lanre Bankole, has directed that the suspects be given to state criminal investigation departments for additional inquiry and thorough prosecution.
