Police arrest suspected ritualists in Ondo

Men of the Ondo State Police Command on Monday arrested five suspected ritualists in an uncompleted building beside the Gani Fawehinmi Arcade Ground at Igbatoro road, Akure, Ondo State capital.

The suspected ritualists said to have been using the abandoned building owned by a retired judge in the state, as their hideout were arrested following a tip off.

According to an eye witness, five of the suspects were apprehended by the member of the public after a guard within the area fired shots into the air to kill a bird and scared the suspects out of their den.
He explained that the suspects numbering about seven ran out of the building and taught the gunshots were from security operatives on their trail.

However, the criminals ran into the hands of some motorcyclists who suspected their movement and gave them a hot chase, after which five out of the seven men were apprehended, while two others escaped.

Some women underwears, shoes, cooking utensils, sleeping mattress, toothpastes and toothbrushes, among other items were discovered inside the building, while ropes suspected to be hanging ropes were seen tied to the ceiling of the building.

The source stated that there were speculations that the building is being used as a kidnappers’ den, saying the objects found inside the house did not implicate the suspects as ritualists.

It however, took the timely intervention of the men of the state police command, to save the suspects from mob action as youths and residents of the area gathered to lynch and burn the suspects.

According to a resident, the building the suspected ritualists are using as their hideout is being owned by a retired judge but said the building had been sold to a business man who had started reconstructing the building into an hotel.

He said the business man later stopped work on the building in the last few years and all manner of persons with questionable characters converted it into their abode.

He however, said the men have been handed over to men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) along Oda Road in Akure,

Confirming the arrest, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Femi Joseph, said it has not been established if the arrested suspects are ritualists.

Joseph said that detectives are screening the suspects to know their culpability in the crime and promised that those found culpable would be charged to court.

Tribune Report.