Dolapo Babalola, a 39-year-old fruit vendor, has described how he killed his cousin and four other people in Okeigbo, in the Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, for rituals.
Babalola admitted that he performed rituals using the body parts of the eighteen other alleged offenders that were paraded with him.
His herbalists and accomplices were also paraded by the police at the police headquarters in Akure, the state capital.
In an interview with newsmen, the suspect narrated how he killed his victims and disembered their bodies for rituals.
The suspect said he always attack motorcyclists by snatching their bikes from them and thereafter, killed them when his victims recognise him. He said he attacked his victims with stone and stick whenever they recognise him after dragging their motorcycles with them.
The suspect, who confessed that he had been in the illicit business since 2021, said they carried out their operations within the town and the neighbouring states.
Babalola said: “I have killed five persons, including my cousin and my friend and snatched their motorcycles. I killed Opeyemi, who was my friend and sold the motorcycle to one man at Ibadan called Toheed.
“I do not sell human parts but I took part of one of my victims’ bodies to an herbalist in Ondo, who promised to give me an Ifa Oracle.
“At the point where we snatch motorcycles, anyone who struggles with me in the process gets hit on the head with a big stone and a stick.”
Parading the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police, Abayomi Oladapo, said: “Sequel to the arrest of one Babalola Daniel, who led police detectives to a shallow grave at Okeigbo where the corpse of Opeyemi Oyelakin, a commercial motorcyclist was exhumed, other suspects have been arrested in connection with the case.
“Further investigation revealed that the suspect had killed four persons in various locations and stole their motorcycles.
“In April 2023, he killed a motorcyclist in Kabba, Kogi State and Ife along Ilesha road in Osun State, removed some parts from the corpse for rituals.
“In June 2023, he killed another motorcyclist at Ondo town and dumped the corpse in a farm at Oboto bush along Bolorunduro road, Ondo town while in October 2023, the suspect and one Sikiru Mutiu aka S.K deceived his childhood friend by name Joel Olagoke to take them with his motorcycle to a location where he was killed, his body dismembered and handed to herbalists: Mujeeb Lawal and Shina Ojo (both in police custody), for rituals.
“The duo of Abiola Toheeb and Ayegbajeje Michael, who are receivers of stolen items and one Oyediran Olaitan, who helped in the production of fake documents to aid the selling of the stolen motorcycles have been arrested.