Court remands 3 over alleged ritual murder of businesswoman in Osun
Jan. 7, 2022
An Ile-Ife Magistrates’ Court in Osun, on Friday, remanded three men who allegedly murdered a businesswoman, Bolaji Akerele.
The defendants are Isiaka Salawudeen, 53, Lukman Salawudeen, 36, and Hammed Semiu, 35.
According to the prosecutor, ASP Joseph Adebayo, the defendants committed the murder on Dec. 7, 2021, at 11:30 a.m at Ile-Ife.
Adebayo said that the defendants conspired among themselves to murder Akerele and possess her body parts.
According to him, the defendants also indecently interfered with Akerele’s corpse by cutting off her head and other body parts which they used for money ritual.
The prosecutor added that Salawudeen attempted to kill himself by trying to cut his throat with a cutlass.
He noted that the offences contravened Sections 242, 319, 324, 327, 329 and 517 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Osun, 2002.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to counts three, four and five, which had to do with possession of human parts, money ritual and attempted suicide.
Magistrate O. B. Adediwura refused to grant bail to the defendants on grounds that the court had no jurisdiction to entertain the case.
Adediwura asked prosecution to duplicate the case file and send to the office of the state director of public prosecutions for advice.
She ordered remand of the defendants pending the advice. (NAN)