They were victims of a failed security system and poverty.
They were educated, envisaged a prosperous future by their families.
Regrettably, they were all ladies, with promising futures.
Their parents recalled their numerous promises for them, but sadly, ritual killers cut their lives short.
Daily Trust Saturday takes a look at the disturbing story.
Akinyele town, in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, is a suburb of sorts.
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It’s a village about 28.9 kilometres from the heart of the ancient city of Ibadan, the state capital.
But even with its sleepy nature, it has shockingly recorded seven ritual killings between the month of June and August this year.
The first recorded ritual killing, which took place on June 1, 2020, at Akinyele town involved Miss Baraka Bello, a female student of the Department of Science Laboratory Technology (SLT), Federal College of Animal Health and Production, Moor Plantation, Ibadan.
She was reportedly raped and killed.
The killer smashed her head at the back of her father’s house at Oloro, Kara in Akinyele town.
It was a gruesome tragedy that left Nigerians shocked, and triggered a viral hashtag on Twitter.
On June 5, 2020, an undidentified person, or persons, also smashed the head of a 29-year-old woman, Mrs Azeezat Somuyiwa, who at the time carried a seven-month-old pregnancy, with a big stone at Ijefun, near Ojoo.
Also, on Saturday June 13, 2020, a National Diploma student of Oke Ogun Polytechnic, Saki, Grace Oshiagwu, 21, was killed at Idi Ori, Sasa, Ojoo, Ibadan.
The killings, according to residents, resemble those carried out by ritualists.
On Monday June 22, 2020, a five-year-old boy, Mujib Tirimisiyu, was killed by a ritual killer, who reportedly hit the boy’s head with a shovel at Olorunsogo Phase II, Tose, Moniya, Ibadan, when he was defecating behind the family house.
On Wednesday June 24, 2020, the life of 42-year-old Mrs. Olusayo Fagbemi, who resided at Ajibade Street, Sasa, Ibadan, was cut short by ritual killers.
She was attacked when washing plates in front of her residence in the morning and hit with a dangerous weapon on her head.
Also, a woman and her daughter were attacked at Balogun village, near Moniya, the headquarters of Akinyele LGA by ritual killers three weeks before Barakat was killed at Akinyele.
Following the serial killings, the state police command arrested 19-year-old Sunday Sodipe, who allegedly killed the seven persons in the local government for ritual purposes.
He was paraded by CP Joe Enwonwu at police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, on Friday, July 27, 2020.
Also, paraded were one herbalist, Adedokun, 50, who allegedly sent Sunday to carry out the murders, and one Shehu, 20, who bought a phone stolen by Sunday.
However, Shodipe, who confirmed to police that he perpetuated the gruesome murders, escaped from police custody on 11th August, 2020.
After a subsequent re-arrest, he confessed to police that he killed a woman, Funmilayo Oladeji after his escape from police net.
Chairman of Akinyele Local Government Area, Hon. Taoreed Adedigba, told Daily Trust Saturday that the local government is working hard to tackle all forms of insecurity in the council after the arrest of Sunday Shodipe.
“We have set up a security committee which involves all the stakeholders in the council.
We are also engaging private security outlet to give us modern tech to fight insecurity in the absence of the police.
We have also entered an agreement with vigilantes, the OPC and Soludero to ensure our people are saved,” he said.
While ritual murder is not new across Nigeria, and it spikes from time to time, Oyo has not been an exception over the years.
However, it has not been on a large scale like the recent cases.
A look back showed that people have been secretly kidnapping and killing victims for rituals.
A ritual killer’s den was discovered in Soka, Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State in March 22, 2014 by a commercial motorcyclist in the area.
At the den, over twenty decomposed human bodies and hundreds of human skulls were found dispersed throughout the forest, and over twenty people were rescued from the forest.
A building with several items, including children’s and adult clothing, mats and other household items, were found in the forest.
The activities that occurred in the forest are believed to have been coordinated by unidentified persons, for ritual purposes.
The land, which is in the heart of the sprawling city of Ibadan, was found covered with several decomposing human bodies.
Scattered all over the place, only forensic experts can identify them because all that are left of most of them are nothing but bones of different shapes and sizes.
Apart from the numerous dead bodies, school uniforms, women’s underwear, a pair of security boots, several pairs of shoes, baby wears, and other clothes littered the place, especially the big hall and an adjoining open field.
Shedding light on possible reasons people are engaging in ritual killings in the state, a traditional chief in Moniya, Akinyele Local Government Area of the state, Mogaji Wale Oladoja, said poverty and greed are mostly responsible for the incessant ritual killings in the state.
“The recent rise of ritual killings can be directly connected to the greed and desperation for wealth, of our people.
Our people cannot be satisfied.
They look for power and money at all cost.
A poor man cannot afford to patronize people who are selling human parts.
Then, it is the same people who are rich already that are patronizing them.
These people are young guys who are looking for fast cash.
This trend is dangerous.”
Mogaji Oladoja gave the second reason: “Because of mental poverty, which is permanently engraved in people’s heads, to the extent that they can do anything to survive.
“They spend the little money they have on rituals. At the end of the day, they won’t enjoy the money.”
“It’s worrisome that because of the economic situation in Nigeria, people are so desperate, to the point that they believe they need to engage in ritual murders to make money.
“The only way out is for government to make our economy work. Government also needs to sensitize our people time to time.
Our people should also be security conscious,” Mogaji Akindoja said.
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