Oyo Police Uncover Shocking Syndicate: Exhuming Corpses for Rituals

Inside the Oyo Police Bust: Syndicate Trading in Human Body Parts

​The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two individuals involved in exhuming corpses and selling human body parts to ritualists. On March 18, 2025, detectives from the Iyaganku Divisional Police Headquarters, acting on a tip-off, searched the residence of 35-year-old Ridwan Bello, also known as Asalailu, in the Muslim area of Ibadan.

They discovered a female human torso and other dismembered remains, including severed limbs and dried bones, stored in bags and a paint bucket. ​

Bello confessed to exhuming the corpse from a cemetery in Awa-Ijebu, Ogun State, and selling the body parts to ritualists. His confession led to the arrest of his accomplice, 70-year-old Fatai Adeleke, who admitted to purchasing human body parts for ritual purposes.

The case has been transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation. Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Ademola, has urged cemetery managers to enhance security measures to prevent such activities and advised transporters to be vigilant in inspecting passengers’ luggage to avoid inadvertently aiding criminal acts.

This incident highlights ongoing concerns about the exhumation of corpses and the sale of human body parts for ritualistic purposes in the region. In a similar case in August 2024, the Oyo State Police Command arrested eight suspected ritual killers, including individuals involved in the murder of a 14-year-old boy.

The Oyo State Police Command continues to intensify efforts to apprehend individuals involved in such illicit activities, aiming to ensure the safety and security of residents.​