Mortuary Workers Arrested for Trafficking Human Remains in Osun

The Osun State Police Command has arrested a 43-year-old mortuary attendant in the Ipetu Ijesa area of the State, Johnson Daniel, for allegedly selling dead body parts.

Daniel was paraded on Wednesday alongside other suspected criminals apprehended by the police.

Speaking during the parade of the suspects at the command headquarters, Osogbo, on Wednesday, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer for the Command, Giwa-Alade Emmanuel, disclosed that Daniel sold the dead body parts to native doctors who were his customers.

The dead body parts buyers, according to the police, are Olaniyi Azeez (65), Balogun Asimiyu (40), Oladapo Hammed (35), Kazeem Rasak (28) and Asaka Raufu (40).

Emmanuel added that one Adetunji Okunade (42 years), who is also a mortuary attendant, conspired with Daniel to sell remnants of water used in bathing corpses to interested native doctors.

Exhibits recovered from the suspects, according to the police, were Bone fragments, a pair of pants and a notebook.

He said, “The above named suspects were arrested upon a credible information from a good spirited individual that, one Johnson Daniel ‘m’ a mortuary attendant at lpetu-ljesa sells portions of human remains deposited at the mortuary to native doctors whose names are listed above.

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

The statement noted that the suspects have been charged to court.