The Ogun State Police Command says it has arrested a priest, Lekan Olukolu, for the death of a 25-year-old woman, Idowu Ogunkoya, who allegedly died in his shrine.
The police added that the suspect was arrested on Sunday, August 19, 2018.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the suspect was arrested following a complaint lodged by one Lucky Oghenetega.
He said Oghenetega reported at the Ago Iwoye Police Division that the deceased, who was his fiancé, was taken to the shrine of the priest by her parents for spiritual cleansing because they suspected her of witchcraft.
Oyeyemi said Oghenetega further told the police that when the woman got to the shrine, the priest shaved her head and gave her a liquid substance to drink in order to deliver her.
Oghenetega was quoted to have said that the deceased slumped and died immediately after taking the liquid substance.
Oyeyemi said, “On the strength of the report, the Divisional Police Officer, Ago Iwoye division, Adeola Adedoyin, led detectives to the shrine situated at the Ojuolota area of Ijesha Road in Ago Iwoye, where the priest was promptly arrested.”
He was said to have been arrested alongside the father of the deceased one Temitayo Ogunkoya.
The state police spokesman stated that the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, had ordered the transfer of the suspects to Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department in Abeokuta for further investigation.
“The CP also warned members of the public to desist from primitive and barbaric ways of dealing with matters, especially issues that have to do with human life,” Oyeyemi said.