Harvest of human parts’ dealers

---

• Police continue onslaught on dealers

In March, 2014, a dungeon was discovered in Soka, Ibadan, Oyo State, where kidnapped people were used for ritual purposes. The shocking discovery included 18 males and five females, looking frail, with chains on their legs. There were human skulls, bones and other parts found in the bush. There were open graves where bodies were dumped. In one of the buildings, was an abandoned factory where captives were slaughtered and sold in parts to clients.
Since the Ibadan Soka forest horror story broke, members of the Nigeria Police Force, across the nation have become more vigilant. This vigilance has paid off, particularly in Lagos State, with police detectives discovering and arresting more human parts dealers.
A police source said that the buying and selling of human parts is prevalent in areas where public cemeteries are situated. The police source added: “Areas which are not located in the metropolis and have cemeteries have become the hideout for cartels which specialise in the sales of human parts. Police have reason to believe that some of these human parts dealers also engage in ritual killing.”
The source said that efforts were on to arrest other human parts sellers in the state. In May, 2014, the Lagos State Police Command arrested a grandfather, Mr. Segun Kayode, for exhuming and selling human parts. Police said that the suspect sold human parts for a living, adding that he had become notorious in the business. The grandfather, who could not give his exact age, said he started selling human parts because he was poor and jobless. He added that selling human parts was no crime.
In May, 5, 2014, four suspects were arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos Police Command, Ikeja and they gave chilling accounts of how they used to source and sell human body parts. One of the suspects, Mrs. Sukuratu Salami, said that she used to buy each fresh human head for N10, 000 and sell for N20, 000.
According to the 53-year-old mother, human eye balls go for N5, 000 and intestines are sold at N1, 000. She confessed to have sold at least 10 heads. Salami, who sells herbs, said she decided to go into selling of human parts because there was high demand for heads by “native doctors.”

Other suspects are Rasheed Abimbola Tantoloun, Mohammed Yusuf and Waheed Ibrahim. Denying killing people, they said they always get the parts from a cemetery located at Joju area of Ota in Ado-Ado Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Prince Umar Manko, said of increasing cases of human parts dealers: “We picked interest because of the disappearance of people. It is hopeful that with the arrest of these human parts dealers, we’ll be able to get to the root of these disappearances. It’s criminal to deal in human parts. A few weeks ago, there was the discovery of Soka forest in Oyo State. Crime has no boundary.” The commissioner disclosed how some of the suspects were arrested.
He said: “After intense monitoring of the faces behind the shameful act, on April 12, one of the SARS detectives posed as a prospective buyer and negotiated to buy one of the heads at the rate of N20, 000.” In June, 27, a 26-year-old accounting graduate of the Lagos State University (LASU), Olakunle Ogunsola, who trades in human parts, was arrested. He said his clients ranged from pastors to Muslim clerics.
According to him, these so-called men of God and Alfas buy human parts for rituals to make their congregations grow. Ogunsola, described as the ring leader of the syndicate that sells human parts, said he had been dealing in human parts while still studying at LASU.
The suspect was arrested alongside his alleged partners in crime, such as Oyebamiji Olalekan, Alfa Rasheed Abass and Akorede Wasiu. In July, 2014, a doctor and his nurses, with other suspects, joined the growing list of people in the buying and selling of human parts. Investigation revealed that Manko received information that a native doctor and nurses at a certain hospital along Olaniyan Street, Alagbado Lagos allegedly murdered a day-old-baby and were about to use the baby for money making ritual.
Manko ordered the Officer in Charge of SARS, a Superintendent of Police (SP), Mr. Abba Kyarri to look into the matter. Kyarri and a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr. Ade Adetarami, worked in consonance and stormed the area and arrested the two nurses; Mrs. Bola Fagbemi, 38 and Miss. Yinka Lasisi, 30.
The nurses work at Ikeoluwa Trado-Medical Clinic, located at 31, Kayode Olaniyan Street, AIT Road, Ayetobi, Alagbado, Lagos. One Rilwan Saula, 39, an Alfa and leader of the syndicated was also arrested. Saula was used as bait to catch Alhaji Surajudeen Faronbi, 50, Taofeek Abidakun, 49 and Akindele Majiagbe, 50.
Saula was alleged to be the person who used to approach the two nurses and negotiate for buying of the babies. None of the suspects however, owed up to murdering the baby discovered in their possession or any other baby. Investigation revealed that Saula specialises in the sales of human parts and herbs and had been in the business for over six years.
A police source said: “A woman delivered in the traditional home and the baby allegedly died within 24 hours. One of the nurses called Bola, was said to have carried the dead baby and handed it over to Saula. Information was received by the police and Saula was arrested in possession of the dead day-old-baby. “Saula led the police to where the baby was delivered and the doctor and the two nurses were arrested. Further investigations revealed that the hospital has only three staff. The staff are the doctor and the two nurses.”
Detectives learned that one of the suspects, Faronbi, bought three heads from Saula. It was through Faronbi’s confession that the police arrested Taofeek, also an Alfa.
Another suspect, Majiagbe bought human hands from Saula. Narrating how he came to be a guest at SARS, Saula said: “I sell herbs at the Ijaiye Ojokoro main market. But I have stopped selling herbs since 2005. It was when I was selling herbs that I dealt in human parts. Last month, two men came to me and said they needed human heads. “I told them I was not into selling of human heads anymore. But they insisted and even gave me N20,000. They started disturbing me.”
According to Saula, it was during that period, while he was struggling to resist temptation, that he received a call from one of the nurses to come and collect a dead baby. His words: “This nurse (Bola) called me that a baby died and that the mother gave the corpse to them to throw away for her. I told her to bring the baby so that I could give those who paid me. I did not know that the buyers were police informants.” Fagbemi, a mother of four, said she did not commit any crime.
According to her, her only crime was in attempting to give the dead baby a befitting Muslim burial. Fagbemi said: “I started working in the hospital on February 6, 2014. I’m an apprentice in the hospital, training to become a traditional nurse. I was given the baby to throw away. It was a baby girl. I gave it to Saula. I know him as an Alfa and he used to treat me sometimes. I gave him the baby to bury because she was a Muslim baby. He did not offer me any money.”
Abidakun, who described himself as a spiritualist, said: “I’ve been transacting business with Saula, but not on human parts. Our transaction was usually on buying and selling of chameleons, vultures, other birds and snakes. He had never sold human parts to me. I’ve known him at Agege market for close to six/seven years now. He used to assist me with apprentices.”
Asked if Saula gave him N15,000 for procurement of human heads, Abidakun said: “I did not ask him for any human heads! What I asked for were birds! I used birds like vultures for treatment of epilepsy and stomach problems.”
Farombi narrated his own story: “I’m an herbalist. Some years back, I used to buy herbs at Agege. Saula was my customer. I used to patronize him for my healing herbs. Back then, I had a patient who had an incurable wound. Saula brought some human parts to me. I used it to cure the sickness. I bought it from him between N4500 and N5000. I bought the human parts only twice from him. This was about nine years ago. I don’t understand why Saula is saying this thing happened last year, instead of nine years ago.”
Lasisi said she is a trado-medical nurse and had been for about nine years now. She revealed the extent of her involvement in the crime. She said: “Police arrested me because a woman delivered in our clinic and the baby died. I called the father of baby but he said I should call the father of his wife. When I called the woman’s father, he said that he did not know any cemetery where he could bury the baby. The man discussed with Bola and begged her to assist him dispose the baby.
“When our boss came to the clinic, he told us that he does not allow people or his staff to throw away babies in his hospital. Our boss handed over the baby to a lady from the family of the deceased and Bola joined her.
Later Bola collected the baby, saying she would help her throw away the baby. I was surprised when I saw policemen around 10pm with Bola. They came and arrested everyone.”
Majiagbe, a father of three, said that he is a bricklayer and was arrested because Saula mentioned his name, not because he was guilty of any crime. His words: “I was arrested because Saula a.k.a Aruwo mentioned my name among the people he sold human parts to!
He prepared soap for me so that my business would improve. I paid him N18000. I did not know that he uses human parts for his charms. This was in 2012. I had not set eyes on him until I saw him with the police some days ago.” Saula however maintained that Majiagbe gave him N18000, to get him dry human hands.
When this question was put across to Majiagbe, he kept mute. Sources however revealed that police in the state are continuing with the ongoing hunt for human parts dealers.