A 54-year-old man, Adelani Oriyomi, has been apprehended in Kere, Obada-Oko, Ewekoro Local Government Area, for allegedly exhuming a human skull from a tomb. The arrest was made around 2:35 am on Tuesday by operatives of the State Community, Social Orientation, and Safety Corps (So-Safe Corps).
Commander (Dr.) Soji Ganzallo of So-Safe Corps, through the office of the Director of Information and Public Relations, Assistant Commander Moruf Yusuf, disclosed this in a statement. According to the statement, officers on routine patrol noticed suspicious activity and observed the suspect attempting to hide. After the officers briefly left, Oriyomi resumed digging the tomb to retrieve the skull and was subsequently apprehended.
During interrogation, Oriyomi admitted his intention to retrieve the skull for use in a money ritual known as “Osole.” Commander Ganzallo noted that Oriyomi confessed to exhuming another skull on January 18, 2025, from a tomb behind his residence, which he had hidden in his room. He also confessed to being a repeat offender, having previously sold nearly ten skulls.
It was reported that Oriyomi had prior convictions for similar offenses. He was previously arrested in Ado-Odo and served two years in prison. This was followed by another conviction in Obada-Oko, leading to six years and nine months of imprisonment at the Oba Correctional Center.
The statement partly reads, “Adelani Oriyomi, a resident of Kere, Obada-Oko in Ewekoro Local Government Area, confessed to the crime during interrogation. Oriyomi admitted that on January 18, 2025, he had exhumed a skull from a tomb on a plot of land behind his residence. He confessed that he had hidden the first skull in his room and confessed to being a seasoned offender, having sold nearly ten skulls in the past.”
Commander Ganzallo confirmed that the suspect and the recovered evidence—a fully dried human skull—have been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, Obada Divisional Headquarters, for further investigation and possible prosecution. He urged community leaders to screen tenants and visitors to prevent harboring criminal elements.
