A 54-year-old ex-convict, Mr. Adelani Oriyomi, has been arrested by the Ogun State Community, Social Orientation, and Safety Corps (So-Safe Corps) for allegedly exhuming a human skull from a burial ground in Kere, Obada-Oko, Abeokuta.
The arrest occurred in the wee hours of Tuesday, January 21, 2025, during a routine patrol by So-Safe Corps officers.
According to a statement issued by the Corps Commander, Soji Ganzallo, through the Director of Information and Public Relations, Assistant Commander Moruf Yusuf, the suspect was caught in the act.
Officers observed suspicious activity on a parcel of land located behind a church. Oriyomi was seen trying to hide but resumed digging the tomb when he thought the coast was clear. The officers returned to the scene and arrested him before he could escape.
Ganzallo revealed that the suspect, a resident of Kere, Obada-Oko in Ewekoro Local Government Area, confessed to the crime during interrogation.
Oriyomi admitted that on January 18, 2025, he had exhumed a skull from a tomb on a plot of land behind his residence.
He confessed that he was now attempting to retrieve another skull to complete the number required for a money ritual preparation known as Osole.
Oriyomi further disclosed that he had hidden the first skull in his room.
The suspect also confessed to being a seasoned offender, having sold nearly ten skulls in the past.
He revealed that previous arrests for similar offense committed at Ado-Odo led to two years of imprisonment and a further six years and nine months at the Oba Correctional Center, following another conviction in Obada-Oko.
Commander Ganzallo confirmed that the suspect and the recovered exhibit , a fully dried human skull , have been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, Obada Divisional headquarters, for further investigation and possible prosecution.
In his remarks, Ganzallo urged community leaders to thoroughly screen tenants and visitors to prevent harbouring undesirable individuals.
He stressed that such vigilance could ensure 70% of home security, with the remaining 30% relying on alertness to external threats.