Barely three weeks after a suspected den used by ritual killers was discovered in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, police in the state have tracked down a syndicate which specialised in the sale of human parts in Baruten Local Government Area of the state.

The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ambrose Aisabor, said a human head, arms and other parts of the body were recovered from the suspects at Tabira Village near Okuta area of Baruten.

One of the two main suspects, Abubakar Ladan, confessed that he was a supplier of body parts to some unnamed businessmen, politicians and other people who need them for rituals,explaining that their biggest customers were politicians and business people.

The other suspect, Amos Kareem, who told our correspondent he was from Kaduna State, alleged that he was sent by Ladan to get some human parts under duress.

He said, “Ladan sent me and threatened that he would kill me if I did not go to a burial ground at Tabira and dig up the corpses.

“I undertook this assignment to save my life. This is the first time I am involved in this act. I did not intend to get anything from this act.

“When I entered the deserted burial ground, I had no idea people were watching. As soon as I had finished and tried to leave with the human parts, I was arrested. What I did is wrong and I will not do it again.”

“He (Ladan) said if I could handle the job successfully, those who contracted him to get the body parts would give me a motorcycle and that he would give me a car.”

But Ladan who said he was an indigene of Sokoto State, claimed that he was contracted by Alhaji Jubril Kabira, who was also arrested along with them.

“The Alhaji was the one who promised that if I could get the human parts, he would give me a car and give the grave digger a motorcycle,” he said.

He said he had never engaged in that kind of business before, which was why he in turn contracted it out to Kareem.

But Kabira said that he was framed by Kareem and Ladan. According to the man, who claimed to be the head of the Fulanis and Hausa in Tabira Village, he was in the habit of accommodating Fulani or Hausa people who migrate into the town until they could get accommodation of their own, which was how he knew the duo.

He said, “I am from Zamfara State. These men are simply lying. The human parts were not even found in my house,” he said.

But the commissioner of police said the suspects were arrested at about 10.35pm on Tuesday in the village. He added that the command’s detectives, who were acting on intelligence, arrested Kareem and found the human parts in his house after a search was conducted.

Aisabor said, “When they were interrogated, they told us that they sell human parts to politicians, business and some other people. So we are going to go after their customers.”

The CP also said the command had also arrested five suspected members of a robbery gang, Mohammed Kuruwa, Manu Sabo, Jenyun Abdulah, Sonde Landa and Dauda Salaudeen.

According to him, a stolen unregistered Bajaj motorcycle, one locally made revolver gun and one live cartridge were recovered from the suspects.

He stated that on July 16, a camp said to belong to Alhaji Musa Muazu at Tenebo Village via Kaiama in Kaiama LGA of Kwara State was broken into by unknown robbers who made away with various   valuable items.

He stated that later that day, a man was sighted wearing one of the clothes stolen in the man’s house. The suspect was said to have been arrested while Sabo was with him at the time fled.

Aisabor said Sabo was arrested at Venra Village with the unregistered motorcycle three days later.

“When Sabo who was searched, the locally made gun with one live cartridge concealed neatly in a black polythene bag in a compartment of the motorcycle was recovered. The suspects have confessed to being members of a robbery gang terrorising the area,” he said.

In another case, the command also arrested six suspects for criminal conspiracy and armed robbery.

The suspects, Abdulwahab Yusul, Adamu Mohammed, Wale Olanrewaju, Garuba Musa, Ayuba Haruba and Usman Muazu, were arrested with a stolen Renault truck, 364 pieces of new tyres, one Toyota Camry car, 12 cartoons of incense sticks and 83 pieces of umbrella.

According to the police, two men, Alhaji Umar Ahmed and Alhaji Mansur Bello of 29 Pelewura Way, Apapa Lagos, reported at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad Office in Ilorin that on the previous day, they were attacked by robbers at about 10.45pm along the Ogbomosho-Ilorin Express Road.

The Renault truck with Lagos registration number KRD 774XF in which they were travelling was loaded with agro-chemical and other goods worth about N14m recovered from the suspects.

Aisabor said the suspects almost killed the escort of the truck as the victim is currently receiving treatment at a hospital. He assured that the police had launched a manhunt for other fleeing members of the gang.