Police in Osun State have arrested eight suspects in connection with a chilling attack on a 16-year-old boy in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, where the victim’s scrotum was allegedly removed in a suspected ritual killing attempt.
What began as an ordinary afternoon of farm work in the rural Arademi area of Ikire ended in horror. According to the Osun Police Command, three men from the nearby town of Apomu went to clear grass on a farmland on July 26 at about 4 p.m. But in the shadows of the bush, two of them allegedly lured their teenage victim to a remote spot.
Police spokesperson DSP Abiodun Ojelabi said the boy was ambushed, his abdomen slashed open in a grisly bid to harvest vital organs. In the process, his scrotum was cut off — an act investigators believe bears the hallmark of ritual killings. The attackers fled when the boy’s cries for help pierced the quiet farmland.
Swiftly responding to distress calls, police officers rushed to the scene, evacuated the bleeding teenager, and moved him to a local hospital before transferring him to the University College Hospital for urgent specialist care. His current condition has not been publicly disclosed.
Ojelabi confirmed that intensive investigations led to the arrest of eight individuals believed to be linked to the incident. He did not rule out the possibility of more arrests as the probe continues.
Other Arrests & Wider Crackdown:
The Osun Police Command’s recent operations have netted multiple suspects for other violent crimes in the state. In July alone:
- Two alleged cult members said to operate within Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, were apprehended.
- A robbery suspect accused of snatching an iPhone 11 from a victim at Oke Baale, Osogbo, was arrested.
- A man carrying a cut-to-size firearm was caught after police stopped his motorcycle at Sedona, Ede.
- Another suspect was taken into custody for allegedly stealing a motorcycle from a mosque.
DSP Ojelabi stressed that all suspects — including those linked to the Ikire mutilation case — will be charged to court once investigations are complete.
For residents of Ikire and surrounding communities, the case has rekindled fears about ritual killings and the safety of children in rural areas. With public outrage mounting, all eyes will be on whether justice for the teenage victim is swift and uncompromising.
