By Daud OlatunjiABEOKUTA— A woman, Olubunmi Funke, told newsmen, yesterday, that she sold her three-year-old daughter for N280,000 to settle her debt.

She was paraded, yesterday, by Ogun State Police Command Commissioner alongside two accomplices, Abibat Oyesanya and Morenike Shittu, over their involvement in stealing and kidnapping of children for sale in the South-West region.

Also paraded were a self-styled prophet, Darasimi Rotimi, and his accomplice, Ibikunle Sunday, who allegedly killed one Sarah Olowookere and dismembered her body for rituals.

The Commissioner of Police, Ilyasu Ahmed, while parading 32 suspects for various offences including robbery, kidnapping, murder among others in Abeokuta, said the suspected ritualists killed Olowokere in Sango area of the state and “dissected her body, removed the head, wrist, heart, breasts and the private part.”

The Police boss, who said the remains of the victim were buried at Alafia Street of Alagbola Ijoko Ota, disclosed that the incident occurred on September 28.

‘How we killed her’

While fielding questions from newsmen, the accomplice, 40-year-old Sunday, an Okadaman, admitted that he killed the victim by hitting a plank on her head.

He said: “I hit a plank on her head. When she died, we then shared her body parts. I took her head. Ogo-eri and Darasimi (referring to the Prophet) took other parts of the body away. They said the parts are essential ingredients for ritual.

“Don’t mind him. He is just lying. If you commit an offence and confess, God will definitely forgive you. I regret my action. I hope the government will temper justice with mercy.”

The accomplice added that the victim was the girlfriend of the third suspect, identified as Ogo-Eri, who is now on the run.

However, when asked his involvement in the act, the white-garment Prophet denied involvement in the act, saying”I don’t know anything about the incident. I am ready to die.”

Stealing, selling children

One of the women—Oyesanya, Shittu, Funke— who were said to be specialists in child stealing and kidnapping, Funke, who confessed to have sold her three-year-old daughter for N280,000, said the money was used to offset her debt.

She said: “I gave out my three-year-old daughter to Abibat Oyesanya, who is into local adoption business. But she promised me that I will be allowed to visit my daughter once in three months.

“I am a prostitute. I engaged in prostitution after my first husband sent me packing. So, I decided to give out my daughter to the woman, who gave me N280,000. I used the money to offset my debt.

“The woman also requested for more children based on more demands for those adopting them. That was why I kidnapped the baby girl in Bodija, Ojurin, Ibadan, and took her to the woman.”

The Commissioner, who said the Police were committed to flushing out criminals in the state, said the suspects were arrested as part of “ember months mop-up operations of the Command.”

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