Six Suspected Ritualists Remanded Over Murder Of 35-yr-Old Man In Osun

A Magistrate Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State capital, has remanded six men at Ilesa Correctional Centre for allegedly killing a 35-year-old man, Ayoade Fasesan.

The suspects were also being accused of possessing the deceased body parts.

The defendants are: 40-year-old Ifaseun Afolabi, Ifadare Afolabi, 38, Badmus Shakiru, 29, Adeleke Kabiru, 38, Oloyede Maruf, 39, and Oseni Mukaila, 32.

The Police prosecutor, ASP John Idoko, informed the court that Ifaseun and Ifadare, and others now at large, conspired and murdered Fasesan on May 24, 2021 at about 9:30pm in Ikirun, Osun state.

Idoko said that the duo and four other defendants conspired at thesame time and place and tampered with the corpse of Fasesan by cutting his head and other parts into pieces.

He explained that the six defendants unlawfully had in their possession human parts.

He argued that the defendants committed offences contrary to and punishable under Sections 324, 319(1), 517, 242 and 329A of the Criminal Code, Cap 34 Vol II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.

The third to sixth defendants pleaded not guilty to the count- charge while the plea of the first and second accused persons were not taken.

Defence counsels for Shakiru, Kabiru, Maruf, and Mukaila – Chief A. O. Olodo, Taiwo Awokunle and Olugbenga Awoyemi – applied for their bail and argued that their offences were bailable. Barrister K. A. Adepoju, appeared for Ifaseun and Ifadare.

The Police prosecutor opposed their bail applications on the ground that killings and other crimes were rampant in the state and that the punishments the offences carry would force the defendants to escape if granted bail.

Magistrate O. A. Daramola ordered that all the defendants be remanded in Ilesa correctional centre pending their re-arraignment at Ikirun Magistrate’s Court on August 18.

Daramola ordered the prosecution to forward the case file of Ifaseun and Ifadare to the Department of Public Prosecution for legal advice.