The Osun State Police Command has arrested two mortuary attendants for selling human body parts to suspected ritualists.

The Acting Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Giwa-Alade Emmanuel, disclosed this during a press briefing at the police headquarters in Osogbo on Wednesday, September 18, 2024.

The mortuary attendants, Johnson Daniel, 43, and Adetunji Okunade, 42, were arrested alongside the suspected ritualists, Olaniyan Azeez, Balogun Temitope Asimiyu, Oladapo Hammed, Kazeem Rasak, and Asaka Rauf, following a tip-off from a concerned citizen.

“The above-named suspects were arrested upon credible information from a good-spirited individual that one Johnson Daniel, a mortuary attendant at Ipetu-Ijesa, sells portions of human remains deposited at the mortuary to native doctors,” Emmanuel stated.

According to him, the investigation led to the discovery that Daniel, along with his accomplice, Adetunji, conspired to sell both human remains and water used in bathing corpses to local ritualists.

During a search of the suspects’ residences, items were recovered, including suspected human bone fragments at the homes of Asaka Rauf and Oladapo Hammed.

A female undergarment and a notebook containing ritual instructions were also found at the residence of Balogun Temitope Asimiyu.

Emmanuel stated that all the suspects have been charged in court.

“The said suspects use these remains gotten from the mortuary attendant (Johnson Daniel) for different ritual purposes. Daniel also confessed that he conspired with one other mortuary attendant named Adetunji Okunade ‘m’ to sell remnants of water used in bathing corpses to interested native doctors.

“In the course of the investigation, a search was conducted at the residences of these suspects which led to the recovery of a fragment of substances suspected to be human skull at Asaka Rauf ‘m’ and Oladapo Hammed ‘m’ residences while a female pant and a notebook containing instructions on ritual practices were recovered from Balogun Temitope Asimiyu’s residence.”

Similarly, the police also paraded five additional suspects—Taiwo Adekunle, Adebayo Opeyemi, Hasan Ibrahim, Oba Wasiu, and Olajide Oladapo, for alleged armed robbery.

Items recovered during the arrest include a Ford Jeep, a Hunter motorcycle, an empty shell cartridge, an iPhone, and a magnet.

Emmanuel assured the public that investigations into both cases are ongoing.

Operatives of the Niger State Police Command have arrested a suspected car thief and recovered a Toyota Highlander vehicle stolen in Tafa Local Government Area of the state.

The spokesperson of the command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, said the suspect claimed that the vehicle was given to him by one Baba Gadas and to be taken to Mubarak in Kaduna for disposal.

“On 04/09/2024 at about 0400hrs, distress was received that some hoodlums invaded a residence at Tudun-Wada area via Sabon-Wuse, Tafa and stole a Toyota Highlander vehicle with Reg. No. ABJ 775 AT and other valuables,” the statement read.

“Immediately the report was received, all security posts along Kaduna road were alerted, and fortunately the said vehicle was intercepted at Customs point along Kaduna road with one *Halilu Shuaibu* 28yrs of Gwarinpa area of Abuja.

“The suspect claimed that the vehicle was given to him by one Baba Gadas of Zuba and to be taken to one Mubarak in Kaduna for disposal.

“Meanwhile, the suspect has been transferred to SCID Minna with the said vehicle for further investigation and diligent prosecution.”

Ebonyi State Government says it has concluded arrangements to begin the implementation of the payment of Federal Government’s approved National Minimum Wage to civil servants in the State starting this September, 2024.

The state Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor disclosed this in an exclusive chat with DAILY POST on Thursday.

Okpor explained that the implementation was part of the Governor’s economic policies of improving the living standards of citizens of the State.

According to him, the administration of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State was the first in the South East region to agree to the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage for workers.

He noted that the empowerment packages of the present administration were in different categories as many indigenes and non-indigenes have been benefiting from the empowerment Programmes of the Governor.

“In the commencement of his administration, his Excellency in order ameliorate the present economic hardship being faced by citizens, owing to the removal of fuel subsidy, which has continued to impact on the cost of commodities and cost of living, across the country, including Ebonyi State, for instance, implemented the wage increment of N10,000.00 and later upgraded it to N20,000.00.

“The Governor of Ebonyi State is the first Executive Governor in the South East to agree to the payment of the new national minimum wage, which directive has been given to the relevant authorities to begin the payment this September,” he stated.