The Ogun State Police Command has uncovered human body parts concealed inside buildings masquerading as Cherubim and Seraphim churches in Kobape town and along Abiola Way in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The discovery was made following the arrest of three suspects — Sunday Akintobi, Oladimeji Olaniran, and Isaiah Tijani — who were apprehended on April 22, 2025, in separate locations across Abeokuta. According to police sources, the suspects were allegedly found in possession of various human remains.
Spokesperson for the command, SP Omolola Odutola, revealed in an exclusive interview with *PUNCH Online* on Friday that the arrests were made by operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit, acting on credible intelligence.
“On April 22, 2025, around 8:00 a.m., operatives acting on a tip-off arrested Sunday Akintobi, 36, at Itoku, Abeokuta, for suspected involvement in the trade of human body parts,” Odutola stated. “Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of two accomplices, Oladimeji Olaniran, 40, and Isaiah Tijani, 38.”
During a search of their premises, skeletal bones and other body parts believed to be human remains were found hidden within structures falsely operating as places of worship.
Odutola disclosed that the so-called churches were mere covers for illicit activities. “The buildings, disguised as Cherubim and Seraphim churches, served as fronts for the criminal operations,” she said.
Following the shocking find, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to carry out a detailed and discreet probe into the matter.
The command also called on the public to assist security agencies by providing useful information and refraining from shielding criminals. “Community cooperation remains vital to combating ritual killings and violent crimes,” Odutola emphasized.
CP Ogunlowo further ordered expert forensic examinations to validate the confessions already extracted from the suspects. He also advised families to strengthen the security of gravesites to prevent grave-robbing incidents.
“The police will not relent until ritualistic crimes are rooted out from our communities,” Odutola assured.
