The internet has been inundated with gory videos of a ritualists den where no less than 20 corpses were mummified.
The viral videos surfaced on Thursday when one Osaro Nappiar, a resident of Benin, identified his mother’s corpse at an uncompleted building at Ekenhua road in downtown Benin City, Edo State.
Spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, SP, Chidi Nwabuzor, said the man told the police that he actually deposited his late mother’s corpse at a mortuary run by one Chukwu Otu as he was looking for funds for a befitting burial.
“The man clarified that the owner of the place who is on the run (Otu) was operating somewhere at 1st East Circular Road, Benin City where his mother’s corpse was deposited.”
The Police PRO added that the man told the police that his mother died at a hospital at Uselu last year so he took the corpse to Otu’s place but had not gone there since then because he had no money for the burial.
Osaro was among those who visited the site when the operatives of the Edo State Police Command were cordoning off the building, residents described as a den of ritualists.
Nappiar said when he raised the money, he went to the place but was told Otu had relocated to Ekenwan road, Asoro area.
On getting there, they asked him to produce evidence of the corpse deposited there, but he was not with a card earlier given to him.
“As he was unable to produce the card, they asked him to come on another day and that was why he came down here. He has produced the card and that card is now with the police,” Nwabuzor said.
The police PRO added that so far, 4 suspects who were arrested have been helping the police with their investigation.
Meanwhile, one of the suspects, Gideon Friday, denied any involvement in the alleged ritualistic act.
“So when I reach there to ask for the director, some community people came and started beating me without listening to my story and later took me to the station.”
Speaking further, SP Nwabuzor said such a place could not have been a mortuary, as mortuary ought to have a signboard, not a shrine stained with blood.
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