Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
OSUN STATE, Nigeria — The Osun State Police Command has arrested three men suspected of exhuming corpses from a cemetery and removing human remains for use in alleged money‑making rituals, prompting a police investigation into grave desecration and ritualistic offences. The arrests were made on December 3, 2025, in Ile‑Ogbo, Iwo Local Government Area, following credible intelligence received by law enforcement operatives.
Police identified the suspects as 47‑year‑old Ogunbode Taiwo, a farmer and security guard; 30‑year‑old Lateef Afeez, his relative; and 55‑year‑old native doctor Ogo Thomas. Officers apprehended them inside a dilapidated building where they were found in possession of items believed to be human body parts and ritual paraphernalia.
According to DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, the Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Police Command, the trio confessed to exhuming corpses from a Muslim cemetery in the Gaa‑Fulani area of Ile‑Ogbo with the intention of using parts of the bodies for rituals thought to bring financial gain. Police said the suspects admitted targeting graves under the cover of darkness, removing flesh, bones and other elements without fully excavating the bodies to avoid detection.
Recovered exhibits included plastic containers with human flesh, dry bones, and 21 teeth believed to be human, along with a white burial gown, suspected human hair, ritual horns wrapped in red cloth, a knife, a substance believed to be cannabis, and N127,000 in cash. These items were seized as police continued forensic examinations.
Ojelabi explained that the suspects belonged to what appeared to be a syndicate specialising in grave desecration for criminal purposes, further noting that the intent behind their actions was to harness supposed spiritual or ritual power for economic advancement — a belief often described in local contexts as “money rituals.”
In his confession, Ogunbode Taiwo claimed he recruited his relative to assist him, seeking what he described as “fortune and prosperity.” Thomas, the native doctor, reportedly told investigators he had learned ritual techniques from a deceased mentor and agreed to help the suspects in exchange for payment.
Human ritual practices involving the removal of corpses or body parts are criminal offences under Nigerian law, and the desecration of graves has sparked public condemnation and concerns about cultural disrespect, community security, and the exploitation of beliefs in supernatural wealth‑making. Police say they are committed to pursuing all leads, and that the suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The arrest underscores ongoing efforts by security agencies in Osun State to tackle ritualistic crime, which has periodically surfaced in the region and elsewhere in Nigeria, often prompting calls for stronger community vigilance and law enforcement intervention when cemeteries and burial grounds are reportedly targeted.
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