The Ogun State Community, Social Orientation, and Safety Corps (So-Safe Corps) has apprehended a 54-year-old man, Adelani Oriyomi, for allegedly attempting to exhume a human skull at a burial ground in Kere, Obada-Oko, Abeokuta.
The arrest was confirmed in a statement released on Tuesday by the So-Safe Corps Commander, Soji Ganzallo, through the Director of Information and Public Relations, Assistant Commander Moruf Yusuf.
According to Ganzallo, the suspect was caught in the early hours of January 21, 2025, during a routine patrol by officers. “At about 2:35 a.m., our officers noticed unusual activity on a piece of land behind a church,” Ganzallo said.
“The suspect was found hiding and resumed digging the grave once he thought the area was clear. However, our officers returned to the scene and apprehended him before he could escape.”
The statement further revealed that Oriyomi, a resident of Kere, Obada-Oko in Ewekoro Local Government Area, confessed to the act during interrogation.
He admitted that he had previously exhumed a skull on January 18, 2025, and was attempting to retrieve another to fulfill the requirements for a money ritual, locally known as ‘Osole.’
“Oriyomi confessed to being a serial offender. He revealed that he had sold nearly ten skulls in the past,” Ganzallo disclosed.
The suspect also admitted to serving two years in prison following a similar arrest in Ado-Odo and another six years and nine months at the Oba Correctional Centre for a different conviction in Obada-Oko.
Ganzallo confirmed that the suspect, along with the recovered exhibit—a fully dried human skull—has been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, Obada Divisional Headquarters, for further investigation and potential prosecution.
In his statement, Ganzallo called on community leaders to play an active role in ensuring security within their neighborhoods.
“Thoroughly vetting tenants and visitors can eliminate up to 70% of potential security risks, while the remaining 30% depends on staying alert to external threats,” he said.
