Female torso, bones found as 2 exhume corpses, sell body parts to ritualists

The Oyo State Police Command has apprehended two individuals accused of exhuming human remains and selling body parts to suspected ritualists.

In a statement issued on Friday in Ibadan, the command’s spokesperson, Adewale Osifeso, confirmed the arrests, stating that the suspects were tracked down following a tip-off received by officers at the Iyaganku Divisional Police Headquarters.

“During the search, a female human torso and other dismembered human remains, including severed limbs and dried bones, which were stored in bags and a paint bucket, were recovered,” Osifeso said.

According to the police, one of the suspects admitted to exhuming a corpse from a cemetery in Awa-Ijebu, Ogun State, before selling the body parts. His confession led investigators to the cemetery, where his claims were verified, and to the arrest of a second suspect, an elderly man, who allegedly purchased some of the remains.

“He also admitted to his involvement in the illicit trade in human body parts,” Osifeso added.

The case has been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department’s Homicide Section for further inquiries, as authorities intensify efforts to track down others linked to the crime.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Ademola, has urged cemetery operators to be more vigilant amid rising concerns about corpse exhumation for ritual purposes. He also advised transporters to carefully inspect passengers’ luggage to prevent the movement of illegal items.