Cleric Arrested For Using Human Parts For Rituals

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested Gazali Akewadola, a self-proclaimed Islamic cleric and native doctor, for selling human parts. The 60-year-old suspect was also accused of killing people and using their parts for ritual purposes. The police added that Akewadola was a member of the gang that was recently arrested for exhuming corpses and selling their parts.

PUNCH Metro had reported on May 22, 2013 that the police arrested five members of a syndicate- Jamiu Adeleke, Ajibade Rafiu, Fatai Akiwowo, Kazeem Sanni and Agboola Kolawole – for selling human parts in Owode, Ogun State.

According to Police authorities, Akewadola was nabbed after the five suspects that were initially arrested made confessional statements and led policemen to his hideout. Akewadola, who is presently in custody of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, said he joined the illegitimate business because he needed the money to take care of his eight children.

He said, “I am an Islamic teacher and a cleric and I own an Islamic school in Owode, Yewa. I am also married with eight lovely children.

“I am also a native doctor. I cure people of ailments and help those who want to become rich quick. I use human parts to prepare charms and concoctions for them.”

When asked if he could sell the parts of his children, he said, “God forbid! I do ritual because the money I make from sales is used for the well-being of my children. Also, if I had killed my children and sold them, it could have aroused suspicion and my relations might expose me but if the people I use for the ritual are brought from far away, it is safer for me and my business.”

The native of Owode Yewa, Ogun State, said he initially started buying heads from Sanni at the cost of N3,000 but Sanni later increased the price to N8,000.

He said after sometime, he discovered that this was not lucrative and then decided to start buying human beings and then dismembering the corpses which he would use for various purposes.

He confessed that he ate some of the parts while the other parts were used in making charms for his customers.

He said a full live human being cost between N30, 000 and N40, 000.

He said, “It is cheaper to buy a live human. You get a lot of parts from it and it is more powerful because the efficacy of the charm or concoction you prepared with fresh parts cannot be compared with the ones you prepared with parts you got from the grave.

“For instance, a live human being will give you blood. There is charm you can prepare with it. The same body will give you hairs from private parts, head and moustache. You can also cut out private parts. Each part of human being is useful. Even the meat and intestine, liver, heart, eyes, lips, tongues can be used for pepper soup.

“If you buy full human being for N30, 000 or N40, 000 and dismember it, you can end up getting N100, 000 or more because you get more than ten parts and can yield good money.”

When asked why he ate human parts, he said, “It tastes so good and better than animal meat especially when taken with hot drink, or wine or beer but the most essence of eating it is to assure those who patronise us that it is eatable and sweet, and of spiritual and physical benefits. It can cure serious illness and can make one get rich quick.”

The suspect, who was not remorseful for his crime, said his only regret was that he had not become as rich as he wanted to be.

He feared that following his arrest, he would die a pauper.

“My regret is that I did not become rich even after selling human parts. I even found it difficult to feed my family sometimes,” he said.

Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Damasus Ozoani, could not be reached because his telephone lines were switched off.