Court remands 4 ritual suspects in prison

An Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun, on Tuesday ordered the remand of four men accused of ritual killing, in prison.

The accused, Jeremiah Ademola, 32; Samuel Babatunde,77; Obaniyi Michael, 32 and Haruna Afolabi, 44, whose addresses are unknown are facing a three-count charge of unlawful possession of human parts, conspiracy and murder.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs B.B. Adebowale, ordered that the accused should be remanded in prison pending legal advice from the state’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on the matter.

Adebowale adjourned the case until Oct. 25.

Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, Cpl. Abdulkareem Mustapha, had told the court that the accused, with others still at large, conspired among themselves to kill two children for ritual.

He said that the accused, after killing the children, buried parts of their bodies in a church in Ota.

Mustapha told the court that the offences were committed on Aug. 13, 2017 at about 9.30 p.m. at Egan Road, Iyana-Iyesi, Ota.

He said that the offences contravened Sections 210(f), 324 and 516(1) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006.