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We get N5,000 for each human head —Suspected grave robbers

Published

1 year ago

August 19, 2024

We get N5,000 for each human head —Suspected grave robbers

The two suspects found with a human head exhumed from a grave at Amuloko Area in Ibadan, Oyo State, and arrested by the personnel of the state command of the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), codenamed Amotekun, have said that they used to get N5,000 as payment for the job done.

The suspects were identified as Mustapha Bello and Damilare Oladele.

Sunday Tribune learnt that while returning home, the suspects were accosted at dawn on Monday by a night guard who saw them carrying a bag, and when challenged, Bello, who was the one carrying the bag, tried to struggle with the security man, which gave Oladele the chance to escape.

Bello was eventually subdued and handed over to Amotekun for investigation.

When the news went round the city with the video recording of Bello when he was caught, it was learnt that a law enforcement agent who had noticed the closeness of Bello and Oladele suspected him of being the arrested suspect’s accomplice and challenged him same day in the evening.

The crowd, which had gathered, was said to have started beating the suspect, leading to his pleas and confession to being part of the operation carried out to get the human head.

He was also immediately transferred to Amotekun for investigation.

In an interview with Bello, a 32-year-old carpenter, he told Sunday Tribune: “I’m an Ibadan indigene living at Labo area. It is true that I went with my partner to exhume dead body and remove the head at Amuloko area.

“One Saheed was the one who brought me into this kind of work. He works as a security man. He asked me to follow him to work in a place when I told him I was not having money. He told me not to worry, promising to give me some money the following day. I asked him the kind of work we were going to do but he said he would let me know when we arrive the place.

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“When we got to a gravesite in front of a residence at Ita Ege at about 1am, he opened up that we were there to get human head. We used cutlass and our hands to remove the mound of earth covering the grave. He removed the head and returned the remains into the grave.

“It is Saheed who used to sell the head. He used to give me N5,000 as my share.

“I went to the last operation with another accomplice, Damilare. After cutting the head, I was the one carrying it in a sack on our way back home when I was arrested by local vigilante. My partner escaped, and I was handed over to Amotekun.”

Explaining his involvement, the second suspect said: “I am Damilare Oladele. I’m from Ibadan and I live at Oranyan. I’m 25 years old. I’m a barber. I was arrested for exhuming a buried corpse and severing its head. Mustapha and I started working together in February this year.

“Mustapha was the one who really knew about the operation and invited me. My role was to watch out for any approaching security man while he would be digging the grave to exhume the buried corpse.

“Mustapha discussed the matter with me when we were relaxing one day. He had been doing it. The first time, he told me to go out with him that night as there was a task to be carried out. I asked him of the kind of task, and he opened up to me that we were going to get a human head. He told me that the one he targeted was already dry as it had been buried for long and it would not be smelly when being carried by us. He promised me the payment of N5,000 as my share.”

Disclosing his gang’s mode of operation, Oladele said: “We used to get to the area where we would get the human head at night at about 10 pm. We would hide in a place till after midnight when we would begin the exhumation at about 1 am.

“After the head had been removed, Mustapha would call me to cover the grave while he would go and hide the head. We would retire to our hiding spot and wait till dawn before we would go home.

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“He was the one who would take the head to the buyer. After he had been paid, he would give me N5,000 as my share, except once when he gave me N10,000 because we went for a fresh head. I have worked with him five times.

“We did the last one at Amuloko in Ona Ara Local Government Area in the early hours of Monday. The place was described to Mustapha by one Afaa. They discussed it on the phone. The Afaa said that the corpse was recently buried.

“We went to work, removed the head and went to sleep in a nearby school until 5am when we left. Unfortunately for us, we met a night guard who sought to know what Mustapha was carrying. As they were dragging the issue with each other, I quickly took to my heels.”

How I was caught

“I went to my shop and returned to where I live in the evening to find out how things went with Mustapha. It was the person he used to give the head for sale who came to me. His name is Saheed. Saheed is a native doctor, and he was the one who introduced the operation to Mustapha. He stopped doing it and was only collecting the severed heads from Mustapha and paying him for the job done. That was why Mustapha asked me to join him in doing the work.

“He was the one who informed me that Mustapha had been handed over to Amotekun. He said he would be using his phone to monitor things.

“I was on my way back to my shop when I was seen by a security personnel. I learnt that the crowd recorded Mustapha’s arrest on video and posted it. The post was seen by the security agent and on seeing me, knowing very well that I was a close friend of Mustapha, he called me to come and take a look. He said that he believed I worked together with my friend. That was how the people around started beating me. I was handed over to Amotekun.”

Oladele confessed to smoking hemp and drinking alcohol but said that he stopped taking marijuana last year, sticking only to cigarettes.

We get N5,000 for each human head —Suspected grave robbers

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Ogun Man Arrested After ₦4,000 Debt Dispute Claims Stepbrother’s Life

Published

11 minutes ago

December 30, 2025

Trends Admin

Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi

Ogun Man Arrested After ₦4,000 Debt Dispute Claims Stepbrother’s Life

A dispute over a ₦4,000 debt has turned deadly in Ogun State, as the Ogun State Police Command arrested a man, Lekan Lasisi, for allegedly killing his stepbrother during an argument in Abule Tuntun, Odeda Local Government Area.

The incident occurred on December 19, following a heated confrontation between the suspect and the deceased over the latter’s repeated habit of incurring debts, according to police sources.

Lasisi reportedly became enraged after being confronted by several of his stepbrother’s creditors, who allegedly demanded that he settle the outstanding debts on behalf of the deceased.

According to the suspect, the disagreement escalated when his stepbrother allegedly attempted to attack him with a cutlass. In response, Lasisi claimed he brought out a locally made gun, stating that he is a hunter, but the weapon accidentally discharged, fatally wounding his stepbrother.

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In an interrogation video circulating on social media, Lasisi narrated that on the day of the incident, the deceased had gone to the market to sell garri. While heading to the bus stop, he was approached by a woman who claimed the deceased owed her ₦4,000.

“When my brother returned from the market, I confronted him about the debts and the shame it was bringing on the family,” Lasisi said. “He became aggressive and brought out a cutlass. I brought out my gun, but it went off accidentally. I did not intend to kill him.”

Lasisi admitted to firing the gun but maintained that the shooting was unintentional. He appealed to the government to show mercy, citing the poor health of their elderly mother and another sibling who is currently bedridden.

“I was worried when it happened. I rushed to help him immediately. I am pleading for mercy because my mother is sick and has no one to care for her,” he said.

Confirming the incident, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, for further investigation.

“It happened on December 19, and the matter has been transferred to SCID,” the police spokesperson said.

The incident adds to a growing list of fatal disputes over small sums of money across the country. A similar case was reported last week in Delta State, where a 47-year-old man allegedly killed his cousin during an argument over the refund of a ₦1,000 contribution following a family burial in Ughelli South Local Government Area.

Ogun Man Arrested After ₦4,000 Debt Dispute Claims Stepbrother’s Life

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Two Close Aides of Anthony Joshua Identified as Victims of Fatal Crash

Published

23 minutes ago

December 30, 2025

Trends Admin

Two Close Aides of Anthony Joshua Identified as Victims of Fatal Crash

Two close associates of former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua have been confirmed dead following a tragic road accident on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway on Monday.

Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, identified the victims as Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, both long-standing members of the boxer’s inner circle. The organisation confirmed the development in an official statement.

“With profound sadness, it has been confirmed that two close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele have tragically passed away,” Matchroom Boxing said.

The statement added that Anthony Joshua sustained injuries in the crash and was taken to hospital for medical evaluation. “He is in a stable condition and remains under observation,” it said.

The BBC also confirmed that the deceased were key members of Joshua’s team. Just hours before the accident, Joshua had shared an Instagram story showing him playing table tennis with Ayodele, popularly known as Latz.

Victims Identified

Sina Ghami served as Joshua’s strength and conditioning coach for more than a decade and was a close personal friend. He co-founded Evolve Gym in London and was a qualified sports and exercise rehabilitator, specialising in musculoskeletal injuries and corrective exercise.

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According to reports, Ghami worked with elite athletes across several sports, including the NFL, NBA, and Michigan State University’s football programme. He had shared photos from Lagos shortly before the crash and frequently appeared alongside Joshua on social media.

Latif Ayodele, widely known as Latz, was Joshua’s personal trainer. His social media posts often highlighted his dedication to fitness and faith, as well as his professional relationship with the boxer. He was seen with Joshua shortly before the accident and appeared in a video shared online hours earlier.

How the Crash Happened

The accident occurred around 11:00 a.m. at Makun, near Danco Filling Station, before the Sagamu Interchange on the Ibadan-bound lane of the expressway.

An eyewitness said the incident involved a two-vehicle convoy comprising a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV.

“It was a two-vehicle convoy. Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another passenger beside him. His security detail was in the vehicle behind them,” the witness said, adding that rescue efforts began immediately before officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) arrived.

Two passengers reportedly died at the scene, while Joshua sustained minor injuries.

Official Confirmation

The Ogun State Police Command confirmed the incident, stating that two occupants died instantly, while Anthony Joshua and another individual were taken to hospital. The bodies were deposited at Livewell Hospital Morgue, Sagamu, as investigations commenced.

Preliminary findings by the FRSC attributed the crash to excessive speed and wrongful overtaking, noting that the Lexus SUV lost control before colliding with a stationary truck.

Joshua, who was born to British-Nigerian parents, attended boarding school in Ikenne, just a few kilometres from the crash site.

Presidential Reaction and Tributes

President Bola Tinubu later confirmed the identities of the deceased and disclosed that he had spoken directly with Joshua and his mother.

“AJ assured me he is receiving the best possible care,” Tinubu said in a post on X.

Tributes have continued to pour in from fans, athletes and public figures. Joshua’s recent opponent, Jake Paul, wrote: “I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and everyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.”

Two Close Aides of Anthony Joshua Identified as Victims of Fatal Crash

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Wrongful Overtaking Led to Anthony Joshua Auto Crash, Says FRSC

Published

32 minutes ago

December 30, 2025

Trends Admin

Anthony Joshua accident scene

Wrongful Overtaking Led to Anthony Joshua Auto Crash, Says FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has attributed the motor accident involving Anthony Joshua on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway to excessive speed and wrongful overtaking, describing the violations as major contributors to fatal crashes on Nigerian highways.

Two people were confirmed dead on Monday after a Lexus SUV conveying the Nigerian-British boxing star collided with a stationary truck around the Sinoma area near the Sagamu axis of the expressway. The accident occurred at about 12 noon, while Joshua sustained minor injuries.

In a statement, the FRSC said preliminary investigations revealed that the SUV was travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit before the driver lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre, resulting in the crash.

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“The primary causes of the crash, being excessive speed and wrongful overtaking, constitute serious traffic violations and remain among the leading causes of fatal road crashes on Nigerian highways,” the statement said.

The corps confirmed that the bodies of the two deceased victims have been deposited at Livewell Morgue, Ajaka, Sagamu, while the Nigeria Police Motor Traffic Division (MTD) has been notified to support further investigation.

FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, on behalf of the management and staff of the agency, expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished Anthony Joshua a speedy recovery.

Although born in England, Joshua frequently visits his hometown of Sagamu, Ogun State, and has remained closely connected to Nigeria. During a visit last year, he socialised with local celebrities and presented President Bola Tinubu with a signed boxing glove.

The latest visit comes just days after Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in an exhibition heavyweight bout at the Kaseya Centre, Miami.