A cleric, Tunde Olayiwola, who was arrested last week allegedly with a fresh human head by detectives of the Ondo state police command, has died in police custody.
State Police command spokeswoman, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the death of the suspect in police custody adding that he became indisposed while in detention. She did not give details when pressed further.
The deceased suspect, who was apprehended with a fresh human head at Ajagbale Area of Oka, Ondo town, was paraded alongside eight other suspected criminals alleged to have committed various offences ranging from murder, kidnapping and cultism.
He reportedly slumped and died at the Special Anti-cultist Section of the state police command.
Sources said that the suspect allegedly fell sick the second day he was detained and was taken to the police clinic where he eventually died.
The suspect during an interview with newsmen at the state police command when paraded said that he bought the fresh human head for N60,000 to use it for money rituals.
Olayiwola who said he hailed from Osogbo, Osun state said “It was delivered to me at home by a man I met at a social function on Thursday morning. I was about to commence the ritual when I was arrested by the police detectives.
“I purposely ordered for the human head to make my life better and it was delivered to me. This is my first time but I want to do it to become rich and live a better life. The head was delivered to me today.”
The suspect declined to name his other accomplices saying he wanted to be rich just as his counterparts.
Speaking, the state police commissioner, Oyeyemi Oyediran, had said: “he suspect was arrested by men of the state police command after intelligence report that the suspect was about to receive a consignment.”
The deceased, allegedly in possession of a fresh human head at Oka in Ondo East Local Government Area of the state.
Oyeyemi Oyediran, Commissioner of Police, made this known while parading the suspect with eight others arrested for various crimes in the state before reporters on Thursday in Akure.
He had explained that the cleric suspected to be involved in money rituals was arrested following a tip off received from a member of the public on Thursday in Oka in Ondo township.
“On the 23rd of December, 2021, at about 0920hrs, the Police received information that a self -acclaimed cleric named Alfa Tunde Olayiwola ‘m’, a suspected ritualist, was about to receive a consignment suspected to be a human head.
“The Police immediately swung into action, and the cleric was apprehended at Ajagbale Area of Oka, Ondo town.
“A fresh human head was found in Olayiwola’s custody when he was arrested.
“He (suspect) confessed that the head found in his possession was to be used to ensure he had a better life,” Mr Oyediran said.
