 have apprehended a 54-year-old man, Adelani Oriyomi){kind=link}
The Ogun State Community, Social Orientation, and Safety Corps (So-Safe Corps) have apprehended a 54-year-old man, Adelani Oriyomi, for allegedly trying to exhume a human skull from a burial ground in Kere, Obada-Oko, Abeokuta.
The arrest, made during the early hours of January 21, 2025, was disclosed in a statement by So-Safe Corps Commander Soji Ganzallo, through the Corps’ Director of Information and Public Relations, Assistant Commander Moruf Yusuf.
Ganzallo explained that officers on routine patrol observed suspicious activity near a plot of land behind a church around 2:35 a.m.
The suspect has initially seen hiding but resumed digging a tomb when he thought the area was clear.
Officers quickly intervened and apprehended him.
During interrogation, Oriyomi, a resident of Kere in the Ewekoro Local Government Area, admitted to exhuming a skull from a tomb near his home days earlier.
He confessed he was attempting to retrieve another skull to complete a set required for a money ritual practice known as “Osole.”
The statement revealed that Oriyomi is a repeat offender with a history of selling human skulls.
He admitted to exhuming and selling nearly ten skulls in the past.
He also disclosed that he had previously served two years in prison for similar offences in Ado-Odo and an additional six years and nine months at Oba Correctional Centre following another conviction in Obada-Oko.
Ganzallo confirmed that the suspect, along with the recovered evidence—a fully dried human skull—has been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force at the Obada Divisional Headquarters for further investigation and prosecution.
The So-Safe Corps Commander urged community leaders to conduct thorough checks on tenants and visitors, stressing that such vigilance could significantly improve local security.
He emphasized that while community awareness ensures 70% of home safety, the remaining 30% depends on staying alert to potential external threats.