Operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), at the Lagos state police command, Ikeja has arrested an Islamic cleric, Alfa Rilawan Saula accused of specializing in buying dead bodies especially that of new born for onward sale to his clients. Also in police custody are two nurses Bolaji Fagbemi and Lasisi Olayinka who were alleged to be supplying newborns or unclaimed corpses from their hospital to Saula for a fee.
Bubble busted when the Commissioner of Police, Umaru Manko got information that Saula who has been on the wanted list of the police had resurfaced and still in the same business of selling human parts. He drafted the officer in charge of the SARS, SP Abba Kyari who lured Saula out of his hiding place at Agege.
In the course of investigation, Saula led the police to arrest two other herbalists who claim that they relied on his ability to provide dry human skulls for them. They are Alhaji Surajudeen Faronbi and Taofeek Abidakun who allegedly confessed that they only demand for dried up human skulls which they grind and mix with herbs to cure different ailments.
Still wondering how he fell into the police trap, Saula told Saturday Sun that he delved into the business six years ago when it appeared that there was much demand for human skull. “I am a trained herbalist and I sell roots. Along the line people started demanding for special medicine to cure very difficult ailments and to do that I needed a skull and human parts. Those days, we normally visit burial grounds every Friday to exhume fresh bodies and look for skulls that are dried up.
“To cure stroke, you need to grind the skull and mix them with herbs. This has cured several of my customers. I had to stop the business when the police invaded our shops and arrested us. I was lucky that there was no incriminating thing in the office, so they had no choice but to release me. Although I had stopped, people who knew that I was doing that business kept demanding for human skull. Most especially, they kept requesting for fresh baby skull. The demand was becoming much, so I started sourcing for baby skull in hospitals especially maternities. I knew quite well that most of the new born babies that die are thrown away or burnt. I contacted some nurses especially those working in trado-medical clinics. It was then that I met Bolaji who promised to contact me anytime they have a still birth and she kept to her word”, he explained.
On his arrest, Saula stated that he never knew that the man who offered him N100, 000 for a skull was a policeman. “Bolaji called me that a baby died in the hospital that she was on her way to bring it to me. I quickly called the highest bidder but I never knew he is a police officer. The truth is that we only make use of dead human skulls. The potency of herbs are stronger when you mix it with a human skull.”
One of the nurses and the brain behind the sale of dead children, Bolaji said that she knew Saula many years ago as a herbalist. “He was the one who introduced me to Alahji Hassan Sikiru, the owner of a Ikeoluwa trado medical clinic located at no 31 Kayode Olaniyan street, AIT road, Ayetobi Alagbado, Lagos. I was employed as a nurse and I promised to assist him to get dead bodies especially that of babies whenever it is available.
“On June 16, 2014 one of our pregnant patients delivered an abnormal baby girl and within 24 hours, the baby died. The family begged the doctor to assist them to bury the child. I was asked to go along with Lasisi, but on our way, I was able to convince her to return back that I can handle the burial. Immediately, I rushed to Saula house and delivered the corpse of the baby. We agreed that as soon as the buyers collect the corpse, that I will receive my payment. I was still in the hospital when the policemen came and arrested me,” Bolaji stated.
Begging for forgiveness, Bolaji said that she decided to supply dead new born babies to Saula since the parents do not have need of their corpses. “Most families will always ask us to help them bury or throw away the dead child. This baby girl was born deformed, and within 24 hours she died. We contacted her husband and he told us to go ahead and bury the child. The baby was confirmed dead and the parents gave their consent that she should be buried or thrown into the dustbin. I am sorry that instead of throwing her away, I decided to sell her to the herbal doctor, Saula.”
Weeping and begging that she should not be included in the matter, Lasisi said that she never knew that Bolaji had plans to sell the dead child. “She convinced me to go back when I started complaining that the distance was much. I have been a trado-medical nurse in that clinic for the past six years. At the age of 39, I still have hope that God will send my husband to me. Please do not publish my picture so that men will not run away from me,” She pleaded.
The others, Alhaji Faronbi and Abidakun who are herbal doctors claim that they bought human skulls from Saula many years ago. They also revealed that they’re used to prepare herbal medicine for certain illnesses that are stubborn. “If you have stroke, epilepsy, advanced case of fibroid and so many others, you will need to mix the grinded human skull to the portion to be potent. Sometimes it also takes the water gotten from the grinded skull of a new born baby to get a woman pregnant,” Alhaji Faronbi explained.
“We do not steal them, if you visit the public cemetery; there are so many old human skeletons that were exhumed to give way for the burial of others. We felt that was where, Saula normally gets his supply from,” Abidakun further explained.
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