Encomium
-Whole body: N120,000
-Head: N20,000
-Internal organs: N1,000
ONE of the most thriving and lucrative businesses right now is sales of human parts. Although, abominable and heinous, those involved keep increasing in number daily. This, however, informed the reason horror camps are also evolving at an alarming rate.
This was evident in the recent discovery in Soka, Ibadan, Oyo State. A similar site has been discovered in Abeokuta, Ogun State and other parts of the country, where human beings were being camped and killed, allegedly for ritual purposes. Those in the illicit trade had considered it an alternative means of making their ends meet; hence they find it difficult to quit until they are caught.
This was the case of the four suspected dealers of human parts, Sukuratu Salami, Rasheed Tantolohun, Waheed Ibrahim and one other person who were nabbed by Lagos Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a couple of weeks back. They were arrested in Joju, Sango Ota, Ogun State.
The suspects were reported to have met their waterloo after men of SARS, who were hinted of their alleged dealings in human parts, posed as buyers.
Salami, 54, and others were paraded on Tuesday, May 4, 2014, by Lagos State Police Commissioner, CP Umar Manko.
According to the CP, the Command took interest in the case following the mysterious disappearances of persons in recent times.
Narrating how the culprits were apprehended, the CP said, “Detectives led by SARS commander, SP Abba Kyari posed as buyers and bought a human head from Salami at N20,000. Then, after arresting the suspects, Salami’s house was searched during which a human head, liver, intestines and other parts were found. We picked interest in this case because of the disappearances of people. With their arrest, we hope that we’ll get to the root of these disappearances.
“We discovered that most of those bodies are still fresh. It’s criminal to deal in human parts.
“A few weeks back, Soka forest was discovered in Ibadan, Oyo State. As you can see, this crime happens all over.”
However, the Command had also paraded four suspects for similar crime sometime in May 2013. The suspects identified as Ajibade Rafiu a.k.a Dudu (30), Fatai Akiwowo (30), Kazeem Sanni (25) and Agboola Kolawole (4), were arrested at Owode-Idiroko, Ogun State and Badagry, Lagos State.
‘WHY AND HOW WE VENTURED INTO IT’ – SUSPECTS
Sukuratu Salami, 54, who claimed to be a herbs seller admitted to have been in human parts trade for a year. According to her, she only requests for decomposed bodies.
In her confession she said, “A herbalist approached me last year and demanded for human parts. When he told me how much they buy the parts, I was tempted. I now approached one Rasheed Tantolohun, who works in a graveyard. He sold a skull to me for N10,000 and I sold it in return for N20,000. Greed made me to continue until I was arrested.
“I buy pieces of bones also for N2,000, liver and intestines for N1,000 each and resell them for N5,000 or more depending on the buyer’s bargaining power.”
She spoke further in tears, “I am not a killer, I have never killed anyone. I only request for decomposed parts. I needed the money to feed my three children of ages 30, 27 and 23 respectively.
“Those who patronize me are herbalists and trado-medical practitioners. The parts are used to prepare concoction for sick children. So far, I have only sold 10 human skulls.”
Salami, however, promised never to go back to the unlawful profession if she is left off the hook.
Another suspect, Tantolohun said, “My boss instructed me to dig up old graves to make way for new burials. I exhumed those bodies in the process and sold them with the help of one Ibrahim, whom I hired.
“Anytime old corpses were exhumed, we usually collect the parts and sold to ready buyers who were usually herbs sellers.
“My salary as a cemetery worker is N5,000 a month but since I started engaging in human parts business, I make three times the amount. We also exhumed corpses without caskets.”
In his own confession, another accomplice, Waheed Ibrahim, an Arabic teacher said he was paid N3,000 for exhuming dead bodies. “We usually tampered with dead bodies without caskets and relatives of those bodies never showed up after burial. My job is to exhume and dismember the remains, and at the end, I would be paid N3,000.”
ENCOMIUM Weekly’s investigations also revealed that most herbs sellers also deal in the illegal and condemnable business, some without knowing the legal implication.
Also, some of the suspected buyers include spiritualists, so-called money ritualists and those seeking spiritual fortification. And these people pay as much as N120,000 to get a whole corpse.
One of the herbs dealers who preferred anonymity said, “It’s true that some people sell human parts. The buyers and sellers know the names they give them so that people around them won’t understand their transaction. It’s something done secretly. They are not items one can display. They are called different names in different parts of the country. People don’t see it as a crime so far they don’t kill people before getting these parts.”
ENCOMIUM Weekly got across to Lagos State Police Command’s spokesperson, DSP Ngozi Braide about the case, she said, “Those caught have been paraded by the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Manko. They are still in police custody while investigation is still on. It’s a criminal offence, and can’t be swept under the carpet. Definitely, they will all be charged to court soon.”
-TADE ASIFAT
