Police arrest brothers over kidnap of mother, son for ritual in Ogun

Tamarauemi Ebimini

The police in Ogun on Friday arrested two brothers, Ayomide Babatunde and Gbenga Babatunde who allegedly lured a woman and her nine-year-old son for ritual. The suspects were subsequently arrested following information received at the Oja Odan Divisional Police Headquarters.

According to Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, the intel revealed the brothers were negotiating to sell humans, either in parts or alive, depending on what the buyer wanted for money ritual.

The supposed buyer, Jacob Olorunto had informed the Baale of the community, who, in turn, tipped off the police and detectives advised Olorunto to play along.

On 27th December 2022, the suspects called their supposed buyer and informed him that they had a woman and her son for sale, leading to a negotiation of N600,000 price for the two persons.

On 29th, one of the brothers, Ayomide went to Ilaro and invited his 45-year-old woman friend, Taye Oluwole, to follow him to Oja Odan with her son to celebrate New Year with his father.

The woman innocently agreed and along the road, they stopped to pick up his brother, Gbenga, the second suspect.

The suspects then took the victims to Igbo Obe area of Oja Odan to meet Jacob Olorunto where they were rounded up by policemen and some youths at 12:30 am.

The police confirmed that the suspects have confessed to the crime.

Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, has ordered the transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation and prosecution.