Ritual Killings: Two Grandmothers Clubbed To Death In Ondo

Anxiety had gripped the community and its environs when news of the bizarre killings spread like wild fire.

First to be clubbed to death with a pestle was a petty trader, Madam Modinat Ala, 72. Her vital organs of her body were removed by suspected ritualists who stormed her residence located at E/97 Okeegbe Street, Ikare. She reportedly opened the door for her assailants thinking that they were her usual customers, who visit at night to buy the petty household needs she sells at home.

The other victim, a 75 year old tenant, Awawu Abdukarim was hit severally with the same pestle for “poke nosing” when the killers of Madinat were busy carrying out their dastardly act. She was said to have heard strange noises and rushed out to check on her friend, Madinat, only to suffer the same fate as she too was attacked. She reportedly saw them opening up and removing her landlady’s vital organs.

The four year old grandson of Modinat, Dada, who lived with her was lucky as the killers only shaved his dreadlock and went away with it.

Although she got to the hospital after she was attacked but didn’t survived it as her head was reportedly battered with the same pestle used to kill their main target, her landlord.

Vanguard gathered that the killers of Modinat must have known her movements hence; they visited at late at night, battered her head with a pestle and thereafter removed vital organs from her corpse.

Their death sparked off protest across the communities as youths demanded for the arrest of their killers who allegedly lived within the communities. Leader of the youths, Kabiru Adeleke, who expressed shock over the killings described the women as “friendly, easy going and loved by all.”

Adeleke said the community could not fathom the reason why the grandmothers were the target of the suspected ritualists. Noting that the killings were becoming rampant in the area, the youth leader recalled that “no fewer than three mentally challenged women had been killed in the same manner in the community within a month.”

Adeleke said: “I want to call on our community leaders to beef up security in this area. This crime is alien to our people and we need to watch out for strange people in our area. “I am sure that within the couples of week, the perpetrators of this act will be brought to book. We know what our fathers can do and we want them to swing into action, rather than wait for police investigation. “We need our peace in this area. If we don’t take decisive steps, these Yahoo boys will kill us one after the other in this community.

They started with mentally deranged people, and they have graduated to using normal people.”

The traditional ruler in the area, the Owa Ale of Ikare, Oba Samuel Adegbite- Adedoyin, described the killing as alien in the community noting that the killings justified his clarion call for the state police.

Oba Adegbite-Adedoyin said: “It is rather unfortunate and anathema to the cause of Ikare people which must be condemned in its entirety. I hope the law enforcement agencies will see to the root of the matter.” He maintained that state policing is the only way the security of lives and property can be ensured.

He said: “There are many advantages of state policing, known as community policing in some society. A policeman supposed to know the nook and cranny of his society as well as the people of the area.”

Police Spokesperson of the Ondo State Police Command, Mr. Femi Joseph said two suspects, including a tenant of the deceased grandmothers, Moses Olaniyi, have been arrested. Joseph said: “The killers left no trace behind as the killings were perfectly done because the assailants opened the door to the deceased’s room and after the dastardly act; they closed the door and left the house without any hindrance.”

He, however, assured that the Command will get to the root of the matter adding that the investigation would take police detectives beyond the state as those suspected to have committed the crime had fled the community after their dastardly act.