The Osun State Police Command has arrested a suspected ritualist, Saheed Babalola, over the alleged exhumation and mutilation of an 18-year-old girl’s corpse in Feesu community, near Iwo, Osun State.
The deceased, who reportedly lived in the same compound as the suspect at Olomo Compound, Feesu, was said to have died under suspicious circumstances on Sunday, October 11, 2026, and was buried on the same day.
According to reports, Babalola joined other mourners at the burial before allegedly returning to the gravesite in the early hours of Monday, October 12, with two other men whose identities have yet to be established. The trio allegedly exhumed the corpse and severed the victim’s head and wrist.
Residents reportedly became suspicious after hearing unusual sounds from the burial site. When they went to investigate, they allegedly caught Babalola at the scene, while the other two men escaped.
The residents apprehended the suspect and handed him over to the police.
Confirming the incident, the Osun State Police Command’s spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, said Babalola was initially arrested by officers attached to the Iwo Police Division before being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
Ojelabi also disclosed that investigators recovered the victim’s head and hand from a location where they had allegedly been kept.
The police spokesperson said investigations were ongoing, while the suspect was cooperating with investigators. Efforts are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify the other alleged accomplices.
The suspect’s arrest follows the disturbing incident in Feesu, as police continue their investigation into the alleged desecration of the corpse.