Trainee Herbalist Allegedly Kills Two-Month-Old Son for Ritual in Ogun

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a trainee herbalist, Ifagbenga Taiwo, following accusations from his wife, Raimat Wasilat, that he slaughtered their 41-day-old son for ritual purposes in the Keesi area of Adatan, Abeokuta.

The incident reportedly occurred on Monday, December 9, 2024.

According to reports, Raimat had laid the baby on a bed while washing clothes outside their home. Upon returning inside, she discovered her son’s lifeless body with a slit throat. The mother’s cries for help drew neighbors to the scene, where they found the infant in a pool of blood.

Witnesses indicated that the assailant likely entered through a wooden window, carried out the act, and left without being immediately apprehended. Videos circulating online captured residents recounting the tragic incident, which has sparked outrage and grief in the community.

The police have launched an investigation, with the suspect now in custody.

“I was hearing some noise and we came to this house to check what was happening. It was when we entered the room that we realised someone had entered through the window and slit the throat of the baby,” a neighbour narrated.

“The mother was washing clothes outside at this spot (pointing to the spot) before she went inside and discovered the lifeless body of her son who was just 41 days old.”

Another resident, Mukaila Olaide, who is also the maternal grandfather of the slain infant, recounted how he and others were alerted by the cries of the child’s mother.

“We were sitting some distance away from the house when we heard a noise. It was the noise that led us to rush down to the house only to discover that the boy had been slaughtered,” he said.

“That was all we saw. The police had come to pick up the mother and the husband to the station.”

The command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident during an interview on Tuesday, stating that the infant’s mother accused her husband of committing the gruesome murder, leading to his arrest by the police.

“At about 1400hrs, the police received a report from the Iteesi Itoko area in Abeokuta regarding the slaughter of a two-month-old infant, Ifakorede Ajani, inside the room where his mother had placed him on a bed,” the PPRO said.

“The mother, Raimat Wasilat, from Keesi, strongly suspected her husband, Ifagbenga Taiwo, who is training to be a herbalist. She alleges that he intended to use the child’s blood for rituals

“The suspect has been detained, the crime scene was investigated, and the body was transported to the hospital for autopsy

“Investigation is underway to discover the details of this horrific act.”