Mortuary attendant arrested for selling human skull to herbalist

A mortuary attendant, Seun Falana, has been arrested for allegedly exhuming a corpse from where it was buried and severing the skull at the Trinity Cemetery, Ajegunle, in Lagos State, which was sold to a herbalist, Olawale Shodolamu, for N10,000.

It was gathered that the duo of Falana and Shodolamu met their waterloo when one Dauda Tijani, whom the herbalist had sent to pick up the skull from the mortuary attendant, was accosted by policemen, who were on stop and search around the Alakija bus stop on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.


The state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said in a statement on Sunday that during interrogation, Tijani confessed that Shodolamu sent him to pick up the skull, adding that when the herbalist was arrested, he revealed the identity of the mortuary attendant, who was also apprehended.

He added that all the suspects would be charged.

Elkana stated, “On Sunday, March 1, 2020, around 1.30pm, a team of policemen from the Area ‘E’ Command, Festac, while on routine stop and search patrol at the Alakija bus stop, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, intercepted one Dauda Tijani, 42, of No. 23 Omowunmi Street, Orege, Ajegunle, with a black polythene bag containing a human skull.

“He confessed that he was sent by one herbalist, Olawale Shodolamu, 70, to collect the skull from a cemetery attendant. The said herbalist was also arrested. He claimed that he bought the human skull from one Seun Falana, 37, an employee of Trinity Cemetery, Ajegunle, for the sum of N10,000.

“Shodolamu said he usually grinds the human skull with other substances to prepare charms for his customers. The third suspect was equally arrested. He confessed to digging out graves to remove human skulls to sell to herbalists. An investigation is ongoing. The suspects will soon be charged.”

In another development, a teenager, Timilehin Taiwo, has been arrested for allegedly stabbing her father’s friend, Babatunde Ishola, to death on Ogundele Street, in the Aboru area of the state.

According to the teenager, Ishola who lived alone, invited her to his house to help him with some chores when he took advantage of the situation to attempt to rape her.

While defending herself, it was learnt that the 16-year-old picked up a knife and stabbed Ishola.

Elkana said homicide detectives led by the Divisional Police Officer, Oke-Odo Division, visited the crime scene, where Ishola was seen lying in a pool of his own blood.

He added that the corpse was evacuated to hospital for post-mortem examination.

Taiwo was also taken to hospital for examination, but Elkana said the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, had ordered the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, for discreet investigation.

Elkana stated, “On Saturday, March 7, 2020, around 3pm, the Oke-Odo Police Station received information that one Babatunde Ishola, 49, a security guard in a school at Aboru, was stabbed to death by one Timilehin Taiwo, 16, of No. 10 Olalemide Street, Aboru, an SS3 pupil. Homicide detectives, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Oke-Odo Division, visited the crime scene on Ogundele Street, Aboru, where the corpse of the man was found lying in a pool of his own blood.

“The corpse was evacuated to hospital for post-mortem examination. The suspect was arrested and the knife she used in stabbing the deceased person was recovered. In her statement, the suspect said the deceased person, who was her father’s friend, invited her to his house to assist him in fetching water, as he lived alone.

“The teenager said she had always been helping him with house chores. That while she was helping out with fetching of water on Saturday, March 7, 2020, he attempted to rape her. She said she picked a knife from the room and stabbed him.
“The suspect was taken to hospital for medical and forensic examination. The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the SCIID, Yaba, for discreet investigation.”

Meanwhile, a fake naval personnel, Yusuf Bello, has been arrested for allegedly using an unregistered motorcycle to convey passengers from the Apapa area to the Agege area of the state in contravention of the ban on motorcycle operation in some areas.

After Bello’s arrest, Elkana said his motorcycle was impounded and military camouflage, naval uniform and a fake military identity card were recovered from him, adding that he would be charged.

The PPRO said, “On Friday, March 6, 2020, around 8.30am, operatives of the Alagbado Police Station on enforcement of the restriction order on motorcycles along the Mosalashi bus stop, Agege Motorway, Alagbado, intercepted one Yusuf Bello, 38, a native of Gwoza, Borno State, who was dressed in military uniform and conveying passengers on an unregistered Bajaj motorcycle. The suspect usually conveys passengers from Apapa to Agege and up to Ogun State.

“The suspect was arrested and the motorcycle was impounded. Pairs of military camouflage and naval uniform were recovered from him. The suspect was also in possession of a fake military identity card. An investigation is ongoing to ascertain the source of the military uniform and the link the suspect has with other criminal activities like traffic robbery, etc. The suspect will soon be charged.”