By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
The body of a young girl, who stepped out of the family house in Offa, Kwara State to buy groundnut cake,popularly known as ‘kulikuli,’ to take ‘garri’ has been found in the neighbourhood without her head and hands.
Kidnapping, particularly of children, to be killed and used for money rituals is, of recent, becoming rampart in major towns of the state, forcing the Commissioner of Police, Tuessay Assayomo, to call on parents to be vigilant.
The CP, through the Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, had said that “cases of kidnapping of children by ritualists for money purposes is gaining ground in Kwara State.”
The case in question, according to the Police, happened on 14th September, 2021, at about 12 noon , when “one Rainat Yusuf, of Amuyo Area, Offa, left her home on errand to buy ‘kulikuli’ which was expected to be used to drink garri (cassava flour), and had since then not been seen.
He said, “A case of missing person was reported at Offa Divisional Police Headquarters by her father, one Yusuf Taofeek, ‘m,’ of Amuyo area of Offa.
Okasanmi disclosed that “investigations, however, led to the discovery of a headless body of a young lady, with her two hands missing, at an uncompleted building at Amuyo area Offa.”
He added, “The body was later identified by the father, to be that of the missing girl.
“In the course of investigation, one Femi Adeniji, ‘m,’ of the same area was arrested and he confessed to be in possession of the head and hands of the deceased Rianat Yusuf.
“He confessed further that he had sold one of the hands to his accomplice, who is presently at large, for the sum of N20,000.”,
Also, the PPRO disclosed that another suspect, Shittu Abdulmalik Wale, of Ima Compound, who was arrested, has also confessed to have used the second hand of the deceased for money making soap.
Okasanmi dropped the message of his principal that youths in the state should “shun the desire for quick and easy money,” advising that “there is no alternative to hard work to get rich.”
The CP, however, gave a stern warning that “criminal elements must vacate Kwara State or risk being arrested, prosecuted and be permanently accommodated in correctional facilities.”
Recall that earlier this month, a sex worker in Parigi Local Government Area of the state was lured by her prospective customer to his house, where she was beheaded, and the head taken to Bida in Niger State, where it was allegedly transferred to Maiduguri, Borno State for money rituals.
Money ritualists arrested in Offa with the head of a kidnapped girl.
