Friday, November 6, 2026

Police arrests 29-year-old suspected ritualist in Ondo

The police said the suspects were in custody.

• April 23, 2026
Photo used to illustrate the story
Photo used to illustrate the story

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a 29-year-old man, Awomehinde Tope, over alleged possession of suspected human parts, ammunition, and stolen items in Ile-Oluji area of the state.

The state police spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh, said in a statement on Wednesday that the suspect was arrested on April 11, 2026, following a reported case of theft by his father, Awomehinde Kehinde.

“On the 11th of April, 2026, operatives of the command apprehended one Awomehinde Tope ‘M,’ aged 29 years, following allegations of theft reported against him. The suspect is alleged to have unlawfully taken several items belonging to his father, one Awomehinde Kehinde,” Mr Jimoh said.

Mr Jimoh said items allegedly stolen included Boxer Bajaj motorcycles, nine goats, quantities of palm oil, four Android phones, two gas cylinders, gold items, and rugs.

According to him, acting on intelligence, officers searched the suspect’s residence and recovered items suspected to be linked to ritual activity, including a bone believed to be human skeletal remains, two native sponges, fetish charms, black soap and an expended AK-47 ammunition shell.

“These include a piece of bone suspected to be human skeletal remains which will be subjected to further forensic investigations, two native sponges, fetish charms, black soap, and one expended shell of AK-47 ammunition,” he said.

The police said two other suspects, John Vincent, 22, and Olakintan Oladele, 29, were also arrested at the residence of Olawale Sunday.

Mr Jimoh said the suspects could not give satisfactory explanations for the recovered items.

He added that the state commissioner of police had ordered a full investigation to determine the source and purpose of the suspected human remains and other exhibits.

The police added that suspects were in custody and would be charged to court upon completion of investigations.

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

Nigerian Bar Association

States

Independence: NBA urges Nigerians to expect better future

The NBA said that ordinary Nigerians should be deriving benefit from the subsidy removal rather than hardship.

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

NCoS officers

NationWide

Over 6,000 prison officers promoted by NCoS

NCoS has promoted 6,043 senior and junior officers across various ranks and cadres to boost personnel morale and enhance operational efficiency.

DOCTORS

Health

Nigerian doctors reject bill proposing six-month jail for emergency delay

Resident doctors rejected proposed legislation seeking a six-month jail term or ₦300,000 fine for healthcare professionals over delays in emergency medical treatment.

Peter Obi

Hot news Home top

Peter Obi seeks EU support for Nigerians’ democratic rights ahead of 2027

Mr Obi Obi urged the European Union (EU) to support the democratic rights of Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections.

UNIBEN building

Education

UNIBEN ‌announces dates for 52nd convocation activities

UNIBEN announced November 23 to 28 for its 52nd Convocation and 56th Founders’ Day celebrations.

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA)

Heading 4

HURIWA asks SSS to probe possible political motive behind Southern Kaduna attacks

HURIWA warned political actors against exploiting insecurity to promote religious division, ethnic hostility, or electoral interests.

Africa

Kenyan court sentences Paul Mackenzie to 200 years for manipulating church members to starve to death to ‘meet Jesus’

At Mombasa High Court, Justice Diana Mochache found Mr Mackenzie “primary criminal culpability” for instructing his followers to fast to death.