The remains of a female supected to be a that of a female Gateway ICT Polytechnic student were discovered at a ritualist shrine located at Eposo-Akaka, Isara in Remo North Local Government Area of Ogun State was on Tuesday, June 16, 2015,by officers of the Ogun State police command.
The remains of the victim, identified as Morenikeji Owolabi, were found at the shrine made of corrugated iron sheets in a cubicle form. Boiled human parts such as liver, intestines and spleen were discovered in native pots and placed on a table inside the shrine.
There was a small kitchen closed to the shrine where the heart of the supposed victim was being smoked by fire. There was also a shallow dug out grave containing the decomposing legs of the victim were found, however, other parts of the victim such as breasts, hands, vagina among others were not found at the scene.
The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Valentine Ntomchukwu, while leading a team of newsmen to the forest where the shrine was located revealed that the victim was a 21 year old indigene of Ekiti State who lived at Isara was lured to the shrine by a herbalist named Femi Awise who was yet to be apprehended.
Investigation to find out the circumstances that led to the victim’s murder and the motive was underway. He further revealed that five persons had been arrested in connection with the murder and that his men had discovered the shrine through very discreet investigation.
The suspects were identified as, Adeyemi Ademolu the Okada rider who conveyed her to the shrine, a suspected apprentice to Awise, Omolaso Taiwo, Lateef Ali, Akinyemi Dare, and Sokoya Wasiu.
He said: “We were able to locate the shrine through a discreet investigation by our men. We were able to track the Okada rider that took her on his motorcycle to the shrine.
“I would not know what would make some people to brutally cut down a girl in this manner. Five suspects have been arrested and investigation has commenced, we will leave no stone unturned to get the other fleeing suspects.
“I am appealing to parents that it is not only enough to send their children to school, but they must do follow-up on them.”
Ademolu, the Okada rider. confessed to conveying the victim to the area but however denied knowledge of the existence of the shrine. He asserted that the victim had spoken to the herbalist who is still on the run, Awise, twice on her mobile phone seeking directions during the journey to the area.
Femi Soyemi, the Local Government Chairman expressed utter shock at the discovery of the shrine. “I was shocked because I never expected this kind of horrible and brutal thing exists here,” Soyemi said.
The victim, who was declared missing on June 7, 2015, was seen with the Okada rider the day he conveyed her to the location and that was how the police had gotten information on the Okada rider which subsequently led to the unraveling of the shrine.
