An uncompleted building located at the Ekehuan road axis of Uzebu quarters in Benin city, Edo state, was reportedly raided by men of the Police Force, after a report that money ritual activities using human beings, were being performed at the building.
Recall that truthlive.net earlier reported photos and videos from the scene where the shrine and many corpses were discovered by the police and indigenes of the area.
In a fresh development on Thursday, a man identified as Osaro Nappiar, who was enroute the location, when accosted by the Police, reported that he was only going to the house to pick up his mother’s corpse which he gave the said owner of the facility, to mummify for him while he went in search of money to bury her.
According to the Edo State police spokesman, Mr Chidi Nwabuzor, who spoke to newsmen, Nappiar stumbled in just when the police officers arrived at the scene of the building which was both a shrine and a place housing over 20 mummified bodies.
Nwabuzor further spoke that Nappiar told the police that he initially deposited his mother’s corpse in the mortuary on First East Circular road in Benin city, operated by one Mr Chukwuma Oru who is currently on the run, after his mother died in an undisclosed hospital in 2021.
He explained that he took the corpse to Oru who claimed to be a mortician while he left in search of money to perform her burial rites during which Oru relocated his services to the Ekehuan/Asoro road axis.
Nappiar further explained to the police that on discovering that Oru had changed base, he went to meet him at the new place at Asoro, only to be told that he needed to produce his card as evidence before his mother’s corpse could be handed over.
Speaking further, Nwanbuzor said: “He (Nappiar) said that he was unable to produce the card as he was not with it. They asked him to come on another day which was today. That was why he came down here to collect the corpse for burial.
“He produced the card which is now with the police.”
He said that some suspects who are aiding investigation have been arrested and one of the them, who was arrested at the scene, now identified as Gideon Friday, who initially looked disoriented on the day of the raid, has spoken and denied his involvement in the ritualistic act.
According to Friday, he had applied to Oru as a driver and only came there to check if his application was approved, when the Police came raiding.
“I came to check if my application was granted because I applied for a driving job here.
“I was told that my contract has expired.”
More to follow.