Police Arrest Eight Suspected Ritualists Over Attack On 16-Year-Old Boy In Osun

The Osun State Police Command has apprehended eight suspects in connection with the brutal mutilation of a 16-year-old boy in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area.

Police spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, revealed in a statement on Monday in Osogbo that three of the suspects, residents of Apomu, had gone to cultivate a farmland in the Arademi area of Ikire on July 26. After finishing their work, two allegedly lured the teenager into a remote bush, slit open his abdomen in an attempt to harvest vital organs, and cut off his scrotum.

The victim’s cries for help reportedly forced the attackers to flee. Police officers rushed to the scene, rescued the boy, and took him to a hospital before referring him to the University College Hospital for further treatment.

Ojelabi said follow-up investigations led to the arrest of eight individuals linked to the crime. He also disclosed that other recent arrests in the state include two suspected cultists operating at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree; a robbery suspect accused of snatching an iPhone 11 in Osogbo; a man caught with a cut-to-size gun in Ede; and another suspect apprehended for stealing a motorcycle from a mosque.

All suspects, according to the police, will be charged to court upon the completion of investigations.