Police Recover Two Severed Hands, Arrest Suspects Over Alleged Money Ritual in Kwara
The Kwara State Police Command has arrested two suspects after recovering two suspected human hands allegedly intended for money-making rituals along Bakase Road in the Alapa area of the state.
The suspects, identified as Kamalden Lukmon and AbdulGaniyu Ibrahim, were arrested on October 8 during a police operation at about 4pm, according to the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo.
Ojo disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing journalists on security developments in the state, adding that the recovery had prompted investigations into the origin of the body parts and the circumstances surrounding their possession.
“During preliminary interrogation, the suspects stated that they intended to use the body parts for money-making rituals,” the police commissioner said.
He added that the suspects alleged that a vigilante member, identified as Abdulraf Apata, handed the body parts over to them.
However, the police said the claims were still being investigated to establish the facts and determine whether other persons were involved.
The commissioner said the suspects were being held by the Violent Crimes Response Unit (VCRU) as investigators worked to identify the possible victim, establish the circumstances surrounding the suspected death and bring anyone found culpable to justice.
In a related development, the command arrested three suspects over the alleged exhumation of graves and removal of human heads at a cemetery in Omupo, Kwara State.
The suspects, identified as Abu Jimoh, Ayo Jimoh and Mukaila Bello, were linked to the case following investigations into the discovery of desecrated graves in May 2026.
According to Ojo, members of the Omupo community discovered that some graves had been exhumed and the heads of the bodies buried there were missing when they visited the cemetery to bury a deceased person.
He said police intelligence-led investigations led to the arrest of Abu Jimoh and Ayo Jimoh on October 8 at about 5am while they were allegedly digging graves within the cemetery.
During interrogation, the two suspects reportedly confessed to the crime and identified Mukaila Bello, a herbalist, as the alleged buyer of the human heads.
The police said the suspects would be arraigned after the conclusion of investigations.
Beyond the cases involving suspected human body parts, Ojo disclosed that the command had arrested several other suspects in connection with kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, illegal possession of firearms and motorcycle theft across the state.
Among those arrested was Abubakar Usman, popularly known as Jaye, a wanted suspect apprehended at Jebba Cattle Market on October 11 over alleged involvement in kidnapping and other violent crimes.
The police commissioner linked the suspect to reported kidnapping incidents in Oke-Ode and Oro-Ago, as well as the killing of members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area.
Ojo said the suspect was also accused of threatening to kidnap a prominent member of a cattle-rearing association unless ₦10 million was paid.
He added that the suspect had reportedly confessed to the crimes under investigation and was providing information to help identify other alleged accomplices.
The command also arrested Ahamdu Dahiru, who was allegedly linked to four kidnapping operations in Eruku, Oke-Ode, Idofin and Babanla.
According to Ojo, the suspect led police operatives and vigilante members to a forest between Bani and Kaiama, where four AK-47 rifles allegedly used in the operations had previously been buried.
The weapons were no longer at the location, as the suspect’s alleged accomplices had reportedly moved them to an unknown destination.
The police recovered a bag containing suspected hard drugs, chains and a padlock believed to have been used to restrain hostages.
Ojo said efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects and recover the missing firearms.
He urged residents to provide timely and credible information to security agencies, stressing that public cooperation remained crucial to tackling violent crime.
The commissioner also commended the state government for donating 25 new Hilux vehicles to the police command, saying the gesture would improve operational mobility, police visibility and response to security threats.
He assured residents that the command would continue to pursue criminal cases through intelligence gathering and professional investigations, while ensuring that suspects were brought before the courts in accordance with the law.
