Operatives of the Oyo State Police Command have discovered a shrine, suspected to be a kidnappers den at Isase, Ojoku, in Ona Ara Local Government Area of the state.
The police team led by the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammed Katsina recovered some fake dollar notes, posh cars, idols, charms, cowries and mats from the shrine.
The cars include two Toyota Camry, with number plates LAGOS AAA-125 and LAGOS AAA-207 DH; and another Nissan Almera, with number plates LAGOS AGL 882 DF.
According to Vanguard, there was an underground cell where captives were believed to be kept. Also discovered in the place was a substance that looked like palm oil and salt, which were poured on some statues.
One of the suspects identified as Ismail Adesina, 43, was unlucky as he got caught while others escaped from the scene as the police invaded the place.
Adesina refuted claims that they were ritualists, although he confessed that he, together with his fleeing cohorts duped unsuspecting victims in the shrine in the past four years.
According to him, they collected between N150,000 and N250,000 from their victims, depending on the extent of deceit.
He said, “We have deceived up to five persons, comprising four men and one woman. The woman came to us because she was barren. We asked her to bring N150,000 or N200,000.
“We built this place ourselves. We do the work of Babalawo here. Our clients used to come from as far as Abuja.
“I hail from Beyerunka, Ibadan. My father was a Babalawo. But my father was not a fraudster like me.
“The owners of the cars are our partners that usually bring customers to us.
“My wife divorced me and went away with the two kids she had for me. She left me about two years ago because she asked me for money and I did not have.
“I have been into this business before the divorce issue came in.”
In the meantime, the commissioner of police assured that the force has launched a manhunt aimed at apprehending the fleeing suspects.
