A 33-year-old prophet, Michael Ajuwon and his accomplice, Olumide Ogundele, 30, were yesterday arraigned before an Ilorin Magistrate Court for allegedly possessing a dead female’s head.

The accused persons were said to have been found in possession of a human skull exhumed in a grave on April 12 at Pamo-isin in the Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State.

They both appeared in court on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of human skull contrary to Sections 97 and 219 of Penal Code Law.

According to the charge sheet, the accused dug the grave of a woman at Pamo-Isin after which he severed the head from the body for money rituals.

It added that the youths of the community noticed that the grave of Mrs. Oyabanji Ajike had been dug and her skull was removed while they were on their way to bury another corpse at Pamo-Isin cemetery, which made them to suspect Ogundele as the perpetrator.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Jubril Al-Hassan told the court that investigation revealed that Ogundele criminally conspired with Prophet Ajuwon who received the said human skull for the purpose of money rituals.

He said that the accused were notorious criminals who specialised in using human parts in different kind of rituals within Pamo-Isin and its environs.

Counsel to the accused, Barrister Sharafa Omotosho prayed the court to admit the accused to bail since Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria still presumed the accused innocent of the allegation until contrary is proved.

Magistrate Ibijoke Olawoyin in her ruling ordered the remand of the accused persons in Federal Prison, Oke-Kura, and therefore adjourned the case to May 9, 2013 for mention.