70-Year-Old Suspected Ritualist Escapes Being Lynched By Youths After Being Nabbed In Ondo

Pa Michael Omolayo, a 70-year-old grandfather suspected to be ritualist, has reportedly been arrested in Akure, the Ondo state capital, Vanguard reports.

The suspects who were almost lynched by irate youths at Oke-emesho in Akure metropolis was alleged of packing human hair in large quantity at a barber’s shop for ritual purpose.

Reports had it that the septuagenarian works in conjunction with a woman and another accomplice identified as Desmond who collects the human hair from barbers shops in the area.

Vanguard learnt that the two accomplices gather the human hair from the shops and thereafter hand them over to the alleged ritualist. Some residents of Oke-emesho reportedly sighted the woman while she was gathering the human hair and immediately raised alarm.

She reputedly confessed and led the youths and some residents to the home of the ritualist and some fetish objects were discovered there.

An attempt by the irate youths to set the house of the suspected ritualist on fire was prevented by the head of the community, Chief James Abiodun who pleaded that the matter be reported to the traditional ruler, the Deji of Akure land, Oba,  Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo.

Abiodun told the youths that the issue was sensitive and could only be resolved through traditional means The woman caught with the human hair reportedly confessed to the allegation at the Obas palace.

Contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the monarch, Micheal Adeyeye confirmed the incident. Adeyeye added that the monarch had ordered a thorough investigation into the matter with a view to handing it the traditional way.

He equally confirmed that some fetish objects were recovered from the suspected ritualist residence.