The South-West Nigeria Security Network, also known as Amotekun Corps, in Ekiti, has arrested two suspects for attempting to kill a teenager for ritual purposes.

Parading the suspects before journalists on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti, the Amotekun Corps Commander, Brig.-Gen. Joe Komolafe, (Retired), said that one of the suspects ambushed the victim on her way to church.

Mr Komolafe said that luck, however, ran out on the suspect, who had attempted to slit his victim’s throat with a knife, as the teenager, Osigba God-first, struggled with him and raised alarm which attracted people to the scene.

He said that upon the arrest and interrogation of the suspect, he revealed that a 53-year-old herbalist, his accomplice, had instructed him to bring human parts for money ritual.

Mr Komolafe said that the two suspects were arrested in Ado-Ekiti following the report of the victim’s family to the corps.

“We had a report at our Ado Local Government office that some ritualists wanted to kill one lady who was going to church, so we went there.

“Luckily for her, she was not killed and the guy who attempted to kill her confessed that he wanted to get rich quickly and a ‘babalawo’ told him to bring human flesh.

“So, he had for a period observed the lady passing through the place to church every day.

“Before daybreak, as the lady was on her way to church on Sunday, he came out from the bush with a knife wanting to slit her throat, but she was able to struggle with him and shouted.

“Then her younger brother, who was following behind, ran back home and that’s how they came to report to us at Amotekun and we arrested him.

“Getting here, he told us that it was the herbalist that told him that he should bring human flesh for the ritual, so the herbalist was also arrested,” the commander said.

Mr Komolafe also confirmed the arrest of two other suspected kidnappers over the weekend who, after collecting ransom, still killed their victim.

“They kidnapped the man at Kajola Area and still killed him even after collecting ransom.

“We were able to arrest two of the suspects and recovered the weapons they used in killing the man.

“We have, however, handed them over to the police as the law states, and they have been taken to the court.

“The police have also been able to arrest one of them that escaped,” he said.

The commandant also charged residents in the state to be vigilant in the face of insecurity bedevilling the state and the nation at large.

“I want people at home to be very vigilant, things are not going well in the country now, people want to make money at all cost, they want to do everything at all cost too,” he said.

(NAN)