…From Dele Ogunyemi, Ibadan…
Two herbalists and five other suspects with a severed ‘human head’ have been arrested by men of the Oyo State Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The suspects comprising three middle-aged women, who all claimed to be indigenes of Oyo town were paraded to newsmen at the headquarters of the NSCDC, at the Railway Quarters, Ibadan, over the weekend.
Even though the severed head had a deep machete cut and dripped blood, the suspects claimed it was a fake head.
Also found in the possession of the suspects were a coffin, three cars, calabash, clothes, 16 handsets, charms and other items.
Addressing newsmen, the State Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr. Shem Obafaiye stated that after some intelligence gathering, his men rounded up the suspects at Iware area of the state.
The NSCDC chief advised all parents in the state to monitor the movement of their wards and ensure that they did not send the little ones to far places.
He said: “We have to ensure we monitor the whereabouts of our children. It is important that we do that especially as we approach election period. We are all Africans”.
On the claims of the suspects that the human head was fake, the state NSCDC boss said that would be left for a coroner to decide.
He hinted further that the suspects would be handed over to the State Security Services for more interrogation.
The leader of the syndicate, Mr. Hamidu Ogunnjimi who is a herbalist told inquisitive journalists: “What you are looking at is not a human head as they claimed. We used cassava flour to mould it. We put blood got from a cow so that it would look as a real human blood. I agree that I am a fraudster and not a ritualist. I have been practising as herbalist for the past ten years. I don’t kill human