Police Uncover Ritualists’ Den in Lagos, Arrest Suspect

Parade notorious kidnapper for murder of 60-year-old woman, others in Ebonyi
Chiemelie Ezeobi and Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

Detectives attached to the Lagos State Police Command yesterday uncovered the den of suspected ritual killers at Obadeyi Ajala Street, Ijaye Ojokoro area of Lagos and arrested one of the suspects for his alleged involvement.

After they stormed the den, the operatives allegedly recovered charms, carvings, white clothes stained with blood, as well as local soap.
It was gathered that the suspect was allegedly arrested following a persistent cry for help by an alleged victim, which drew the attention of some passersby.

Given that the voice emanated from an underground tunnel which linked the canal at Obadeyi Street, one of the passersby summoned the courage and crawled in to help.
Meanwhile, the neighbours had invited the police who stormed there with some soldiers attached to the Operation Mesa (OP MESA) squad, to rescue the victim alongside another one, who was said to be almost unconscious.

The security operatives also arrested the alleged mastermind and recovered the aforementioned items from the said den.
The soldiers were said to have helped to whisk the suspect away immediately as the then teeming crowd tried to lynch him on the spot.
As the crowd was baying for blood, the human traffic spilled over to the road, thus causing vehicular traffic on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

Although he declined to state if it was a ritualist den, the state police spokesperson, Olarinde Famous-Cole, said the command was still investigating the case.
He, however, confirmed that one person was arrested, adding that investigation was still ongoing to ascertain if it was an actual case of ritual killing.
He said: “We are still investigating the matter. It is still too early to begin to say if it is an actual case of ritual killing. We shall make our findings known to the public at the end of the investigation.”

Meawhiled the Ebonyi State police yesterday paraded a notorious kidnapper, Ogonna Alikoa, and 11 other suspects who were allegedly involved in the abduction and killing of Mrs. Catherine Okorie Chukwu, 60.
The command said Alioka popularly known as ‘Pilot’ and his gangs were said to be operating within Ebonyi and Abia States.
Other suspects paraded were Chukwudi Nwezaku, Otu Okpara, Eze Chima ,Chiadikaobi Ani, Uchechukwu Aniewo and Ozomena Obasi, and were in connection with armed robbery attacks, electricity cable vandalism, buying of stolen cars and unlawful possession of firearms.

The deceased, who is an indigene of Ishiagu community in Ivo Local Government Area of the state was on January 18, 2017, abducted in her residence and later killed and buried by her assailants in a shallow grave located in a forest bordering Lokpanta in Umunneochi and Awgu Local Government Areas of Abia and Enugu States for recognising one of the kidnappers

Parading the suspects at the police headquarters in Abakaliki, the state police spokesman, Mr. Jude Mmadu, said though some members of the gang had been arrested and arraigned, Alioka who allegedly drove the vehicle used in the operation had been on the run until a few days ago when he was arrested in Abia State.

Meanwhile, Alioka, who confessed to the crimes, claimed that the woman was killed while fleeing from them in the bush when she engaged him in a fight.