Alleged ritualist disguised as madwoman arrested in Ilorin

A suspected ritualist who disguised as a ‘mad woman’ simply identified as Ebun Oluwa, was arrested by police operatives in Ilorin, Kwara State on Thursday.

She was reportedly apprehended by residents of the area where she resides, opposite Royal Palm School, Kulende-Zango quarters in Ilorin metropolis.

It was reported that an unknown man driving a Jeep car visited the fake madwoman who lives opposite the school at about 2am for an undisclosed mission.

The presence of the unidentified man at the odd hours of the night raised the suspicion of residents of the area and the vigilante group who called the woman many times without any response.

He was given a hot chase after several shots were fired at the Jeep car but escaped from the area with the Jeep car at high speed.

During a search of the fake mad woman’s abode, an unspecified amount of naira cash, children’s school uniforms, bags, books and assorted raw food were discovered by the angry residents and vigilante group.

The woman who had been living in the area for the past two years undetected was rescued from the mob by the Kulende-Zango police division and later whisked away to the state police command headquarters in Ilorin.

Angry residents, however, destroyed the large quantities of raw food found at the woman’s abode following the failed attempt to lynch her.

Spokesman of the state Police Command, Mr Okasanmi Ajayi, in Ilorin on Thursday confirmed the arrest of the woman, describing her as a ‘suspected ritualist’ who appears to be mentally unbalanced.

Okasanmi said she was arrested by the men of Kulende-Zango Divisional Police headquarters, Ilorin in conjunction with members of the community.

” Intelligence available to the command prompted the surveillance mounted around the area which was the base of the ritualist, led to her arrest today 17/03/2022 at about 0600hours.

” In the process of her arrest, a man in a black SUV Jeep found with the suspect zoomed off immediately he noticed the presence of the police.”

He said efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing man.

The police spokesman disclosed that in the course of the woman’s arrest, school uniforms, notebooks, textbooks and monies of different denominations totalling N166,700 was found in her possession.

According to him, the suspect said, ” the man who met with her at the time of the arrest came to have sex with her and to give her water.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Tuesday Assayomo, has ordered a discreet investigation into the matter and directed that the suspect be taken to the hospital to ascertain the condition of her mental health.