The Oyo State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of an Islamic cleric, identified as Alfa Bashiru, after he was found in possession of suspected human flesh.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Adewale Osifeso, disclosed this in a statement posted on the command’s official X handle on Thursday.
According to him, the arrest was made by the Federal Highway Patrol team, which intercepted a white bus with registration number XA 551 IRG at the Toll Gate axis of the Ibadan Expressway around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The suspect was reportedly one of the passengers on board.
Oyefeso said that the suspect, when quizzed, claimed to have bought the suspected human flesh in Lagos.
The suspect, he said, had been transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Iyaganku, for further investigation.
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“The suspected item is undergoing forensic analysis to determine its authenticity and source,” Osifeso said.
In a separate development, operatives of the command during a Search and Stop Operation recovered an abandoned Toyota Camry car with Registration number LSD 957 JX.
Osifeso said that police operatives flagged down the Toyota Camry car during a routine search, and the driver of the car jumped down and took to his heels, abandoning the vehicle.
“The car has been taken into custody by the Command while members of the public with legitimate claims to the vehicle are urged to come forward with verifiable documents or contact the Police Command,” he said.
The police spokesman said that Stop and Search operations were not exaggerated security theatrics, but real and deliberate measures to maintain law and order and as well as ensuring the safety of residents and travellers within Oyo State.
Osifeso said that the command under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, Femi Haruna, appreciated the public for their continued cooperation and understanding.
He assured them of sustained police efforts to combat crime and foster a more secure environment.