Ex-Convict Caught At Burial Ground With Human Skull ‘Meant To Complete Number Required For Money Ritual’
A 54-year-old ex-convict, Adelani Oriyomi, has been arrested by the Ogun State Community, Social Orientation, and Safety Corps (So-Safe Corps) for allegedly attempting to exhume a human skull from a burial ground in Kere, Obada-Oko, Abeokuta.
It was gathered that the arrest occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, January 21, 2025, during a routine patrol by So-Safe Corps officers.
The Commander of So-Safe Corps, Soji Ganzallo, disclosed the details in a statement through the office of the Corps’ Director of Information and Public Relations, Assistant Commander Moruf Yusuf.
According to Ganzallo, the suspect was spotted around 2:35 a.m. behind a church on a parcel of land used as a burial ground.
Ganzallo explained that the officers, while patrolling the area, noticed suspicious activity and discovered Oriyomi attempting to hide after being caught in the act.
The statement read, “Once the coast seemed clear, he resumed digging the tomb to allegedly retrieve a human skull. However, the officers returned to the scene, apprehending him before he could escape.”
However, the suspect, a resident of Kere, Obada-Oko in Ewekoro Local Government Area, reportedly confessed to the crime during interrogation.
Oriyomi confessed to exhuming a skull from a tomb behind his residence on January 18, 2025.
Meanwhile, he reportedly admitted that he was in the process of retrieving another skull to complete the number required for a money ritual known as “Osole” when he was apprehended.
According to his statement, Oriyomi revealed that he had sold nearly 10 skulls in the past and was a repeat offender.
He disclosed that he had previously been arrested for similar crimes in Ado-Odo and had served two years in prison.
He also completed an additional six years and nine months at the Oba Correctional Centre following another conviction in Obada-Oko.
The So-Safe Corps Commander, Ganzallo, confirmed that Oriyomi and the recovered exhibit—a fully dried human skull—had been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, Obada Divisional Headquarters, for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Ganzallo advised community leaders to conduct thorough background checks on tenants and visitors to avoid harbouring criminals.
He stressed that such precautions could ensure 70% of home security, with the remaining 30% depending on vigilance against external threats.
