A 77-year-old pastor, Samuel Babatunde, has been arrested and paraded by the Ogun State Police Command in connection with the discovery of suspected human parts buried inside a church.
The cleric, who is the head of a branch of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, located on Egan Road in Iyana-Iyesi area of Ota, the Ogun State capital was arrested alongside three other suspects, including a serial kidnapper, Jeremiah Adeola and an herbalist, Haruna Afolabi.
While parading the cleric, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, informed reporters that the discovery in the church followed the arrest of Jeremiah Adeola, on Saturday.
He said the 32-year-old suspected serial kidnapper, specialized in kidnapping children had already confessed that the pastor of the white garment church was the receiver of the abducted children.
The Commissioner of Police further disclosed that a 43-year-old herbalist, Haruna Afolabi, was among the suspects, who allegedly buried the human parts at the entrance of the church.
”Operatives attached to the Police Area Command in Ota on Sunday received technical intelligence about Adeola and eventually apprehended him.
“On the strength of the intelligence, detectives from Ota Area Command were detailed to effect the arrest of the suspect; and at about 10:20am of the date, their efforts paid off when the said Jeremiah Adeola was promptly arrested.
“On interrogation, he confessed being a serial kidnapper and mentioned a prophet of a white garment church as the receiver of the kidnapped children.
“Upon his revelation, he was taken to the house/church of the said prophet at Iyana-Iyesi Ota, where one Prophet Samuel Babatunde, 67 years, a pastor in charge of the church and one Haruna Afolabi, 42 years, a traditional worshiper, were arrested.
“The floor of the church was dug as described by the first suspect, and parts suspected strongly to be human parts were dug out there in.” Iliyasu stated.
The commissioner, however, said the police command will conduct forensic investigation into the case giving an assurance that all those found guilty of the crime would be brought to justice.
Meanwhile, in an interview, the arrested cleric denied the allegation leveled against him, stating that it was a pig that was buried alive inside the church contrary to claims that human parts were buried there.
He said that he buried the pig in order to attract good fortune, prosperity and comfort to members of his church.
On his relationship with the suspected kidnapper, Babatunde explained that though he met Adeola at a prayer mountain in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, he never had any ritualist dealing with him saying Adeola was suffering from mental illness.
Meanwhile, Adeola, insisted that Babatunde contracted him to bring him kidnapped children claiming he received a sum of N50,000 for each of the two children he supplied the cleric.
