From James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta
Few hours after a ritual den was uncovered in Iyana Egbado, in Ewekoro local government area of Ogun State, another ritual den was discovered yesterday by residents of Akinremi Estate, Adigbe, in Abeokuta on Wednesday night.
Peoples Daily authoritatively gathered that that one of the victims of the ritualists in the late hour of Wednesday, escaped from the den, ran into a building located few meter away from the den and pleaded with the occupants to save her from her assailants.
The pregnant lady victim, who claimed to be a native of Abia state, informed occupants of the building where she ran to for safety, that her elder sister sold her and her unborn baby to the ritualists at the cost of N100, 000.
She added that the ritualist told the lady, who was just three days old in the den, that she would not leave until she delivered her baby, of which her aunty had collected the pay.
The revelations however, compelled occupants of the building where she ran to, to inform the police officers at the Adigbe Divisional headquarters, who eventually carried out a raid on the premises at around 11p.m of Wednesday night and rescued three pregnant ladies, three kids whose ages range between two and four years from the base.
The police had also arrested the wife of the suspected proprietor of the duplex building being used as ritualists-cum baby-making factory in the estate.
Shocked by the discovery however, hundreds of angry youths, who trooped to the area to catch a glimpse of the factory, set the building ablaze.
As the news of the new discovery filtered round Abeokuta, angry youths, who were mostly suspected to be students from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Ojere, Abeokuta, invaded the duplex building where they carried out a thorough search of some of the rooms already padlocked by security agencies.
After a thorough search of the duplex building, the youths however, emerged with several ritual items which included an ivory plate containing fresh blood, coffin, effigies, scorpions and assorted charms as well as other ritual items.
Also discovered were international e-passports, identity cards of Junior and Senior Secondary School students of Sacred Heart Catholic College, Oke –Ilewo, whom eyewitness said may have been kidnapped and killed by the suspected ritualists.
Several other male and female cloths of worshipers, suspected to have fallen victims while going or returning from vigil, were also recovered from the building as their white garments littered the scene.
Surprised by the greater number of souls who may have fallen victims of the ritualists, the irate youths set the entire building ablaze including two vehicles; a Toyota Camry salon car marked (Lagos) EKY 942 AJ as well as a Mitsubishi saloon car, marked (Lagos) AGL 971 BH
which were parked within the premise.
It however, took the intervention of officials of the Ogun state Fire Service who raced to the scene before the fire could be extinguished.
Scores of fierce looking policemen, who had been watching the angry youths helplessly however, summoned courage and started firing live ammunition as well as canisters at the youths, after their strength was reinforced with more officers even in the Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) vehicles. Substantial number of the youths were also arrested and whisked away to the Command’s headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, the state capital.
When contacted, the command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the incident however, stressed that only two victims were rescued, while two others were also arrested in connection with operating the den.
The Deputy PPRO also explained that one Muibat Yusuf and her brother, who are both indigenes of Kwara state, were arrested in connection with the den and baby factory.
