• 3 herbalists, 2 nurses trade blames in custody
Operatives
of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), at the Lagos state police
command, Ikeja has arrested an Islamic cleric, Alfa Rilawan Saula
accused of specializing in buying dead bodies especially that of new
born for onward sale to his clients. Also in police custody are two
nurses Bolaji Fagbemi and Lasisi Olayinka who were alleged to be
supplying newborns or unclaimed corpses from their hospital to Saula for
a fee.
Bubble busted when the Commissioner of Police, Umaru
Manko got information that Saula who has been on the wanted list of the
police had resurfaced and still in the same business of selling human
parts. He drafted the officer in charge of the SARS, SP Abba Kyari who
lured Saula out of his hiding place at Agege.
In the course of
investigation, Saula led the police to arrest two other herbalists who
claim that they relied on his ability to provide dry human skulls for
them. They are Alhaji Surajudeen Faronbi and Taofeek
Abidakun who
allegedly confessed that they only demand for dried up human skulls
which they grind and mix with herbs to cure different ailments.
Still
wondering how he fell into the police trap, Saula told Saturday
Sun that he delved into the business six years ago when it appeared that
there was much demand for human skull. “I am a trained herbalist and I
sell roots. Along the line people started demanding for special medicine
to cure very difficult ailments and to do that I needed a skull and
human parts. Those days, we normally visit burial grounds every Friday
to exhume fresh bodies and look for skulls that are dried up.
“To
cure stroke, you need to grind the skull and mix them with herbs. This
has cured several of my customers. I had to stop the business when the
police invaded our shops and arrested us. I was lucky that there was no
incriminating thing in the office, so they had no choice but to release
me. Although I had stopped, people who knew that I was doing that
business kept demanding for human skull. Most especially, they kept
requesting for fresh baby skull. The demand was becoming much, so I
started sourcing for baby skull in hospitals especially maternities. I
knew quite well that most of the new born babies that die are thrown
away or burnt. I contacted some nurses especially those working in
trado-medical clinics. It was then that I met Bolaji who promised to
contact me anytime they have a still birth and she kept to her word”, he
explained.
On his arrest, Saula stated that he never knew that
the man who offered him N100, 000 for a skull was a policeman. “Bolaji
called me that a baby died in the hospital that she was on her way to
bring it to me. I quickly called the highest bidder but I never knew he
is a police officer. The truth is that we only make use of dead human
skulls. The potency of herbs are stronger when you mix it with a human
skull.”
One of the nurses and the brain behind the sale of dead
children, Bolaji said that she knew Saula many years ago as a herbalist.
“He was the one who introduced me to Alahji Hassan Sikiru, the owner of
a Ikeoluwa trado medical clinic located at no 31 Kayode Olaniyan
street, AIT road, Ayetobi Alagbado, Lagos. I was employed as a nurse and
I promised to assist him to get dead bodies especially that of babies
whenever it is available.
“On June 16, 2014 one of our pregnant
patients delivered an abnormal baby girl and within 24 hours, the baby
died. The family begged the doctor to assist them to bury the child. I
was asked to go along with Lasisi, but on our way, I was able to
convince her to return back that I can handle the burial. Immediately, I
rushed to Saula house and delivered the corpse of the baby. We agreed
that as soon as the buyers collect the corpse, that I will receive my
payment. I was still in the hospital when the policemen came and
arrested me,” Bolaji stated.
Begging for forgiveness, Bolaji said
that she decided to supply dead new born babies to Saula since the
parents do not have need of their corpses. “Most families will always
ask us to help them bury or throw away the dead child. This baby girl
was born deformed, and within 24 hours she died. We contacted her
husband and he told us to go ahead and bury the child. The baby was
confirmed dead and the parents gave their consent that she should be
buried or thrown into the dustbin. I am sorry that instead of throwing
her away, I decided to sell her to the herbal doctor, Saula.”
Weeping
and begging that she should not be included in the matter, Lasisi said
that she never knew that Bolaji had plans to sell the dead child. “She
convinced me to go back when I started complaining that the distance was
much. I have been a trado-medical nurse in that clinic for the past six
years. At the age of 39, I still have hope that God will send my
husband to me. Please do not publish my picture so that men will not run
away from me,” She pleaded.
The others, Alhaji Faronbi and
Abidakun who are herbal doctors claim that they bought human skulls from
Saula many years ago. They also revealed that they’re used to prepare
herbal medicine for certain illnesses that are stubborn. “If you have
stroke, epilepsy, advanced case of fibroid and so many others, you will
need to mix the grinded human skull to the portion to be potent.
Sometimes it also takes the water gotten from the grinded skull of a new
born baby to get a woman pregnant,” Alhaji Faronbi explained.
“We
do not steal them, if you visit the public cemetery; there are so many
old human skeletons that were exhumed to give way for the burial of
others. We felt that was where, Saula normally gets his supply from,”
Abidakun further explained.