Date: 2019-04-04

An Ilorin Magistrate's Court in Kwara State has ordered that two herbalists – Adewale Bashiru and Owoade Olabisi – be remanded in prison custody for alleged money rituals.

The suspects were arraigned before Magistrate A.O. Shittu for criminal conspiracy and possession of 'criminal' charms contrary to sections 97 and 217 of the Penal Code Law respectively and advanced fee fraud contrary to section 3(1) of Advanced Fee Fraud and Other related Offences 2006.

The police First Information Report (FIR) stated that the first accused, Bashiru of Shao Town in Moro local government area was arrested with a coffin and charms.

Bashiru was arrested along Unity Road, Ilorin by police operatives from IGP-X Squad led by Inspector Ibrahim Sarumi.

The FIR revealed that the accused was intercepted while driving in his Mazda car with the registration number: LND 451 CF and after a thorough search on his car, a small coffin wrapped with white s suspected to be containing dangerous charms was recovered.

Also found in the coffin were two calabashes filled with black soaps, surrounded with cowries and other fetish charms.

The police added that during their investigation, Bashiru confessed to being a herbalist, saying the coffin found in his possession was jointly prepared by himself and Olabisi of Ijeru Oja area, Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

The FIR stated that the accused confessed that he prepared the coffin and its content with his cohort, Olabisi, as money ritual for one Wahab Amodu who also resides in Ogbomoso.

Bashiru and Olabisi were said to have collected the sum of N3.350million from Amodu as the service charge for the job.

According to the suspects, the ritual (concoction) would only be perfected and effective when Amodu s the left-hand palm of a virgin on the charms.

The police prosecutor, Sanni Abdullahi, in his submission, urged the court to remand the accused persons in prison custody, arguing that their alleged offences were not ordinarily bailable.

Barr. Ayorinde Ishola who represented the first defendant prayed the court to admit his client to bail.

He added that the accused were still presumed innocent until otherwise proven by the court.

He added that the offences his client was alleged to have committed were mere allegations on the face of FIR, saying they cannot be substantiated.

The counsel to second accused, Barr. Tunde Gegele, corroborated Ishola's position but added that he would apply formally for the bail application of his client. Magistrate Shittu, in his ruling, remanded the accused in prison custody and adjourned the case till April 8, 2019.