A 52-year-old herbalist has been arrested by the operatives of the Edo State Police Command for hipnotising and assaulting a 20-year-old woman.
Parading the suspect, the Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Dankwara, said the police received a complaint from one Enofe Vera Aisosa, 20, that one Fashola Oba Ade Prince, 52, came to her shop at New Lagos Road, Benin City, pretending to have been looking for someone.
“Suddenly, he brought out a book called seven books of Moses and gave her to read, and after reading the book, she totally lost her senses; became hypnotised,” he said.
The commissioner said thereafter, the suspect took the victim to his house at No 145, 2nd West Circular by Siluko Road, Benin City, brought out some charms and laid them on the floor, undressed her, and gave her white cloth to tie.
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“He sent her to fetch water from a native pot in the room, laid her on the charms and used salt to circle her body, placed images of man and woman on her forehead, breast and private parts and then laid on her.
“Shortly, she regained her senses, pushed the suspect away from her body and ran away with the images and reported to the police,” he added.
He said the police arrested the suspect, who made a statement confessing to the crime.
He said the case has been transferred to the Gender Unit, State Criminal Investigation Department of the command, adding that he would be charged to court for the offences of trial by ordeal and indecent assault against a female.
The suspect who hails from Ekiti State but has been living in Benin, since 2010, in an interview with journalists, denied the allegations, saying the lady came to meet him for help over dwindling business.
“She told me that she had failed promises and that customers were no longer coming to her shop, and she needed medicine. I didn’t try to assault her,” he said.
