Two herbalists, Adewale Bashiru and Owoade Olabisi were on Tuesday remanded in prison custody for allegedly involving in money rituals.
The Police First Information Report (FIR) stated that the first accused person, Bashiru of Shao Area, Kwara State was allegedly arrested with coffin and charm.
He was arrested along Unity road, Ilorin, by police operatives from IGP-X Squad led by Inspector Ibrahim Sarumi.
Police report revealed that the accused was intercepted while driving in his Mazda car with registration number: LND 451 CF.
After the thorough search conducted on his car, small coffin wrapped with white clothe suspected to be containing dangerous charms was recovered in his vehicle.
Also found in the coffin are two calabashes filled with black soaps, surrounded with cowries and other fetish charm.
During police investigation, Bashiru confessed to be an herbalist saying the coffin found in his possession was jointly prepared by himself and Olabisi of Ijeru Oja area, Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
The FIR further added that the accused confessed that he prepared the small coffin and its content with his cohort, Olabisi as money ritual for one Wabi Amodu who equally resides in Ogbomoso.
Bashiru and Olabisi were said to have collected the sum of N3.350milllion from Amodu as service charge for the job.
According to the FIR, the ritual concoction will only be perfected and effective when Amodu place the left hand palm of a virgin on the charm.
They were dragged before Magistrate A.O Shittu for criminal conspiracy, being in possession of criminal charms contrary to sections 97 and 217 of penal code law respectively and advanced fee fraud contrary to section 3(1) of Advanced Fee Fraud and other related offences 2006.
Prosecutor, Sanni Abdullahi, in his submission urged the court to remand the accused persons in prison custody saying their alleged offences are not ordinarily bailable.
Barr. Ayorinde Ishola, who represented the first defendant, prayed the court to admit his client to bail citing section 301 as a basis.
He added that the accused persons are still presumed innocent until contrarily otherwise proven by the court.
He added that the offences his client was alleged to have committed is a mere allegations on the face of FIR saying it cannot be substantiated.
In his words, he submitted further that the accused will provide reasonable sureties and will not jump bail.
The second accused person’s counsel, Barr. Tunde Abdul Gegele also corroborated Bashiru’s counsel but added that he will come formally for the bail application of his client.
The court in his ruling remanded the accused while the case was adjourned to April 8th, 2019.
