The Oyo State Police Command has arrested 10 suspected human parts merchants in different parts of the state following months of sustained intelligence gathering, discreet surveillance and close monitoring of their activities.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, in a statement, said an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit, which involved several months of painstaking intelligence gathering, discreet surveillance, and close monitoring of the suspects, culminated in the arrest of the ten suspects at their various hideouts within the Iseyin and Saki areas of Oyo State.
Following their arrest, operatives conducted searches of the suspects’ hideouts, during which several suspected human parts were recovered, reports Channels TV.
The exhibits include one suspected human heart, human flesh, pieces of human skull, and assorted charms. The recovered items have been secured for forensic examination and further investigation.
Ayanlade stated that in the course of the investigation, the suspects confessed to their various involvement in dealing in human parts for different ritual purposes and are currently assisting investigators in unravelling the circumstances surrounding the source, procurement and intended use of the recovered human parts.
Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest other members of the syndicate.
In view of the progress recorded in the investigation, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Abimbola Olugbenga, commended the operatives for their painstaking, intelligence-led operation.
He assured members of the public that the Command remains resolute in its determination to rid the State of criminal elements and protect the sanctity of human life.
The Commissioner further urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly provide the Command with credible information that could assist in preventing and detecting criminal activities.
