Court Remands Islamic Cleric In Prison Over Rituals

An Ilorin Magistrates’ Court has ordered a 32-year-old Islamic Cleric, Alfa Abdulganiyu Bamidele be remanded at the Federal Prison, Oke-Kura, Ilorin.

Islamic Cleric, Alfa Abdulganiyu Bamidele and his burnt house

Alfa Abdulganiyu, the Islamic Cleric of Iyana Ojere Ogidi, Laluba Area, Ilorin was remanded along with two others, Ahmed Bamidele, 20, of the same address and Lukeman Obalowu Issa, 32, of  Ile Olunle, Oloje Area, Ilorin, for allegedly conspiring to use the baby’s placenta for ritual purposes.

The accused persons had appeared before the court on a three-count charge of conspiracy, trespass and criminal charms, contrary to Sections 97, 342 and 217 of the Penal Code Law.

Police from ‘G’ Division, Oloje, Ilorin, on July 29, arrested the Islamic Cleric, alleging that they  conspired to exhume the placenta of the baby of one Ismaila Saadu of Ojere Street, Ogidi Area, Ilorin at about 6 a.m. where it was buried at the back of his house.

According to the police, during a search for the missing placenta, the Islamic Cleric were arrested inside the cleric’s house drying and burning parts of the placenta with roasted chicken, pepper, red oil and alligator pepper for ritual purposes.

Police First Information Report (FIR) on the matter stated that the execution of search warrant led to the discovery  of the placenta  at the backyard of the cleric.

The FIR added that investigation conducted at the Department of Criminal Investigation, Ilorin, further revealed that the accused were notorious criminals belonging to a syndicate of ritualists terrorising innocent members of the society by means of using newly born babies’ parts for ritual purposes, especially in Ogidi Ologe Area, Ilorin and its environs.

The prosecutor, Inspector David Wodi, objected to the bail of the accused and urged the court to remand them in prison custody pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.

Magistrate A.M. Ndakene remanded the accused at the Federal Prison, Oke-Kura, Ilorin until August 21, when the matter would come up for further mention.

On Wednesday, July 30, it was reported that a bizzare incident occurred on Wednesday night in Laduba, Ogidi area of Ilorin West Local Government Area as the Islamic Cleric, Alfa Gani, was caught by some residents using placenta of a baby to make concoction.

Apparently the Placenta he used was of  the Baby girl he had performed Naming Ceremony for on the previous day.