Osun State Police Command has arrested a suspect, Saheed Babalola, over the alleged exhumation and mutilation of the corpse of an 18-year-old girl in Feesu community, near Iwo, Osun State.
The suspect was arrested after residents reportedly caught him at the burial site where the deceased had been interred, following strange noises heard in the neighbourhood.
The incident occurred on Monday, a day after the teenager was buried within the premises of Olomo Compound, Feesu, where she lived alongside the suspect.
It was gathered that the deceased reportedly died under circumstances described as unnatural on Sunday before her burial took place the same day.
Babalola was reported to have participated in the burial alongside other mourners before allegedly returning to the site with two other individuals in the early hours of the following day.
The three men allegedly exhumed the corpse and severed the victim’s head and wrist during the incident.
However, their alleged activities attracted the attention of residents, who heard unusual sounds coming from the burial ground and went to investigate.
A resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said community members apprehended one of the suspects while the other two allegedly escaped.
“Three people came to perpetrate the act, but we were able to apprehend one of them, and he was handed over to the police,” the resident said.
The resident added that Babalola was subsequently handed over to police operatives for investigation into the alleged desecration of the corpse.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Police Command, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the suspect had been arrested and was cooperating with investigators.
“The suspect and the deceased lived at the same address in Olomo Compound, Feesu, Iwo. The incident was reported to the police after residents discovered the alleged act.
“Police officers went to the scene, and the suspect, Saheed Babalola, was arrested,” the police spokesman said.
He disclosed that operatives of the Iwo Police Division initially arrested Babalola before transferring him to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation.
According to Ojelabi, investigators subsequently discovered where the victim’s severed head and hand had been kept and recovered the remains.
“We were able to recover the head and the hand. The investigation is still ongoing. The police are continuing efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify other individuals allegedly involved,” he said.
