According to the statement, the intelligence-led operations identified black spots and criminal hideouts across Osun State.
The Osun State Police Command has arrested several suspects in separate operations for unlawful possession of firearms and human remains, as part of efforts to ensure a safe and peaceful Christmas and New Year celebration across the state.
The arrests were disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, who said the operations were carried out under the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan.
According to the statement, the intelligence-led operations identified black spots and criminal hideouts across Osun State.
Ojelabi said that on December 16, operatives arrested one Alarape Wasiu, a resident of Olorunsogo community in the Panada area of Ikire, for unlawful possession of an unlicensed single-barrel gun and three live cartridges.
The suspect, the police said, could not give a satisfactory explanation for possessing the firearm.
Following his arrest, operatives extended the investigation to his village at Baralola via Ikire, where another firearm was recovered.
The command said, “A painstaking investigation was extended to his village at Baralola via Ikire, where another single barrel gun was recovered from same suspect; these guns are used to terrorize Ikire and environs.”
In a separate operation on December 3, the police arrested three men — Taiwo Ogunbode, 47; Thomas Ogo, 52; and Lateef Afeez, 30 — at Ile-Ogbo in Iwo Local Government Area, following credible intelligence that they were in possession of human parts.
Items recovered from the suspects included “two plastics containing human skin, a white gown used to bury a corpse, two dried bones suspected to be human, 21 pieces of teeth suspected to be human, four horns wrapped with red cloth, three small nylons containing suspected human hair, one small knife, substance suspected to be Indian hemp, and cash sum of ₦127,000.”
Ojelabi said the suspects confessed to exhuming corpses from a Muslim cemetery located at the Gaa-Fulani area of Ile-Ogbo for ritual purposes.
“The suspects confessed to the crime and admitted to have exhumed the human parts from the corpse at a Muslim Cemetery located at Gaa-fulani Area, Ile-Ogbo with the intent of using the parts for money making rituals,” the statement said.
It added that investigation revealed the existence of a syndicate that “specialized in exhuming corpse from cemetery for criminal reason.”
“All suspects will be charged to Court after the completion of the investigations,” the police said.