Three Ondo clerics allegedly exhume corpse of one-year-old boy after officiating burial, cut off his head and two palms for ritual

Three clerics identified as Aliyu Musa, Aliyu Taiye, and Wasiu Babatunde, were arrested for allegedly exhuming the c0rpse of a one-year-old boy, Taiwo Bisiriyu and using it for ritual purposes in Omi-ifon in Odigbo Local Government area of Ondo State

The incident which happened last Tuesday, July 9, generated mixed reactions among residents in the area.

According to the state-owned newspaper, The Hope, Taiwo died on Friday, July 5, 2024, and was buried the same day, while the clerics officiated at the burial.

Residents who spoke with the publication alleged that some of the items found in the clerics’ homes, included a pestle and a mortal, concoction, sponge, and black pot, among others.

Narrating her ordeal, the deceased’s guardian identified as Risikat Bisiriyu said: “The boy was ill and I took him to a Maternity Centre for treatment. He was later referred to the General Hospital in Ore. But on getting there, the boy died,” 

“I wept bitterly which attracted the attention of residents in the area. Since we are Moslems by religion, we decided to bury the boy the same day, and we invited the clerics to officiate.

“When we got to where the boy would be buried, one of the clerics who carried the corpse went far into the bush to bury him. But the younger brother of the deceased’s father insisted he should bury the child at a particular place, not far inside the bush.

“The child died on Friday. So, on Monday,  around 10 am, we were sitting outside the house, when the wife of one of the clerics came and told us that she didn’t know what her husband brought into the house that was smelling. But we paid no attention to what she said

“About 11pm on Monday, we began to hear the cleric pounding some things till 4.30am. I jokingly said only God knows what he was pounding all through the night that disturbed our sleep.

“The following day,  when I arrived home from the market, the wife of the cleric approached me again and said she was suspicious that it was the corpse of Taiwo, that just died, that her husband was pounding. But I told her to keep quiet. I informed the younger brother of the deceased’s father. And he replied that he also heard about it. So, we became suspicious.

“We went to the child’s grave and discovered that it was scattered 

“With the permission of the Imam in the area, we exhumed the corpse and found out that the head and hands of the child had been cut off.

It was gathered that the matter was later reported to the police in Odigbo, and they were arrested.

The police dragged the suspects before the Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Odigbo. The trio were charged with misdemeanour and felony.

Prosecutor James Usifo told the court that the defendant and others at large committed the offence on July 5 and July 9, 2024, at Alagbado Street, Omifon, via Odigbo, Ondo State.

Usifo stated that the trio unlawfully and improperly exhumed the dead body of one Taiwo Bisiriyu, by cutting off his head and two of his palms.

He also alleged that the defendants unlawfully had fetish or criminal charms in their possession. 

The offences, according to the charge, contravene 517 and 516A(1), 242(1)(b), 213(b) of the Criminal Code Law of  Ondo State, 2006.

Usifo prayed the court to grant him a date to study the case file and prepare his witnesses for trial.

The defence counsel, Mr H. A. Ogiren, did not oppose the application made by the prosecutor. He prayed the court to grant the defendants bail in the most liberal terms.

However, the Prosecutor opposed the bail application moved by the defence counsel, based on the gravity of the offence.

Magistrate Festus Akinlolu reserved her ruling on the bail till August 26.