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It was surprise galore on Thursday at the Ogun State Police Command Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, when a 15-year-old boy, Wasiu Odunewu confessed that he cut off the head of the immediate younger brother of his father, Odunewu Ojo and sold it for N8,000...



The suspect confessed that he was forced to commit the crime due to financial constraints. "It was a week to the just concluded Ileya festival and I needed money to buy clothes and to entertain my friends. So when my friend brought the 'business', I quickly accepted it to raise money for the festival."

Police source at the Eleweran told Sunday Tribune that the suspects have confessed to the crime and investigations on the matters would soon be completed. The suspects - Wasiu Odunewu, Toibu Babalola, 23 and Shakiru Tiamiyu, 17 - are currently cooling their feet in one of the cells at Eleweran..

Speaking on what led them into the crime, one of the suspects, Toibu Babalola told Sunday Tribune that It was his immediate elder brother, Yusuff Babalola that requested that he should help him get a human head. "It was about a week to Ileya festival, I cannot remember the exact date when my brother came to our village from Lagos. He told me that I should help him get a human head, either fresh or dry. He promised to pay any amount. My brother is working in Lagos. When he gave me the assignment, I told him to give me sometime. I contacted my friend, Wasiu Odunewu about it and he (Wasiu Odunewu) agreed to get it at the cost of N10,000.00. I called my brother on his mobile phone to inform him about the development and he agreed to pay N10,000. To carry out the deal, Wasiu also informed his other friend, Shakiru Tiamiyu about the deal. So, we all agreed to carry out the assignment."

On how they carried out the deal, Toibu told Sunday Tribune that it was agreed among three of them that it would be very difficult to get a fresh human skull and that since the alleged receiver, Yusuff Babalola was not keen on whether the head should be fresh or dry, it was agreed that the suspects should dig a grave and cut off the head. Wasiu quickly suggested that he would lead them (suspects) to the grave of his uncle "when we agreed to carry out the assignment, Wasiu told us he would lead us to where his uncle Odunewu Ojo was buried. The three of us - Wasiu, Toibu and Shakiru left for their village in Debari in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State. We carried out the assignment in the night around 9.00 pm. But before then, we had gone to the burial site in the afternoon to survey the area. When we went to cut the head, we dug the ground and quickly remove the head and to avoid suspicions we covered the grave and left."

The suspect, Toibu told Sunday Tribune that immediately he got the head, he called his brother to come for it. "After carrying out the deal, I called my brother and he came from Lagos to take the head. He gave me N8,000 and I gave the money to Wasiu. He shared it with his friend, Shakiru. My brother must have used the head for the ritual he wanted to perform."

How they were arrested by the Police, Sunday Tribune learnt that some people in the community noticed that the grave had been tampered with and they raised alarm. They contacted the father of one of the suspects. The family of the dead man went to a traditionalist whom employing charms, the suspects confessed to the crime.

Also speaking and how they were nabbed. Wasiu, told Sunday Tribune saying, "You see, on the day of the operation, we went to the burial site of that my uncle in the afternoon and some people saw us. So, when they saw that the grave had been tampered with, I became the first suspect. The people in the community told my daddy about it and he brought out a charm and told me to tell him everything I knew about the missing head. At that point, I told him that I was responsible for it. He was very sad about it because, the head was that of his immediate younger brother whom he was fond of while alive. My father later invited the Police and I was arrested. I later gave the Police all the necessary information that led to the arrest of my colleagues."

All the suspects explained that they used the money realised from the deal to take care of the ileya festival expenses. "The deal came at a time I needed money for Ileya festival, so when he brought the idea, I could not resist it," Wasiu said.

Former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, has written the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Okwwesilieze Nwodo, to formally announce his withdrawal from the 2011 party’s presidential primaries scheduled for January 13.

In the letter, which he personally signed, Mr. Babangida said though he obtained the nomination form last September, he is voluntarily withdrawing from the race because of the consensus arrangement which he had with three other presidential aspirants.

The letter is titled ‘Withdrawal of Participation in the 2011 PDP Presidential Primary Election.’

“This letter submits for the kind consideration and approval of the National Working Committee of our great party – the Peoples Democratic Party of Nigeria (PDP), a request to withdraw from all the processes leading to and including the PDP Primary elections scheduled for 13th January, 2011,” Mr. Babangida said.

“You will recall that in September, 2010, I had collected, completed, and submitted the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms, in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Guidelines set out by the party.

“As a consequence of the Consensus arrangement to which I voluntarily and willingly subscribed, I write to inform you of my decision to withdraw forthwith from all the processes leading to the selection and emergence of our Party’s Presidential flag bearer,” he added.

The former military ruler, while extending his highest regard to the chairman and the party, conveyed his gratitude for the opportunity given him to express his interest in the race.

Mr. Nwodo has since acknowledged receipt of the letter and wished the former president well. He also thanked him for his maturity.

It will be recalled that Mr. Babangida entered into a consensus arrangement with former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, former national security adviser, Aliyu Gusau, and Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State.

The project, which was coordinated by the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF), and led by former finance minister, Adamu Ciroma, produced Mr. Abubakar as the consensus candidate for the north.

Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, on Tuesday announced the formation of a new political party, called the Democratic Front for Peoples Federation (DFPF)..

Kongi, as he is fondly called, seized the opportunity of an annual lecture held in his honour by the National Association of Seadogs to make the announcement. "This party is especially for those Nigerians who do not have a place to lay their heads," he said, adding that the party is the "masses' party."

Mr. Soyinka, who disclosed, to the chagrin of the attendees at the lecture, that he has not collected any amount as pension since he left Obafemi Awolowo University, said the party will be a platform for agitating for the needs of the masses. "Sign up and see what you can make of this party," he said, while announcing that the party will hold its first convention on September 25.

Some of the attendees wondered why the announcement was coming relatively late, but remained optimistic that the new party can still emerge a strong factor in Nigeria's politics. "I had expected this long time ago," said Benjamin Olaiya, one of the attendees, "I don't know why our national heroes do not wake up early to the demands of politics. It was the same with Gani [Fawehinmi]. However, let us hope the party can emerge strongly within the few times remaining till election."

WHAT IS IBB DOING AT AN AC RALLY ! ! !

The highly publicised ‘One man, One Vote’ rally organised by the Edo State government to promote democracy ran into trouble yesterday when Wole Soyinka, and leaders of the Action Congress, including Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, and party chairman, Bisi Akande, staged a public walkout.

The boycott was carried out to protest the presence of former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, and Senate President, David Mark, who were at the rally.

Earlier, the former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tunubu; National Publicity Secretary of Action Congress, Lai Muhammed; the party’s governorship candidates in Osun and Ogun States, Raufu Aregbesola, and Kayode Fayemi; and party secretary, Usman Bugaje had flown out of Lagos to the Benin rally around 10:00am while Mr Fashola and his team joined the event shortly after.

However, two hours after the plane that took Mr Fashola to Benin took off, it returned to the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, followed by a private jet with Mr Soyinka on board. The men had refused to remain at the rally grounds, thus shunning an event attended by the Edo State governor and AC member, Adams Oshiomhole; Bayelsa State governor and representative of the Acting President, Timpreye Sylva; Mr Babangida; and most of the governors of the South-south.

Explaining why they had to turn their back on the event, Mr Bugaje told journalists that participating in the rally would be tantamount to his party endorsing the presidential ambition of Mr Babangida, who is not an AC member.

He also said it was not possible for the party’s delegation to have remained in Benin to attend a rally with a senate president who destroyed the report of Mohammed Uwais’ electoral reforms panel.

“We went to Edo for a rally on “one man, one vote,” meaning a rally on electoral reform, so that we can press home the point that we cannot afford to continue with the kind of electoral system that we have seen. That we must have a free, fair, credible and transparent election. But when we went, we found out that a stage had been set for one of the presidential aspirants on a platform, which is not our party and we thought our participation will mean some kind of endorsement, which we were not prepare to do.

“Secondly, and perhaps much more importantly, the fact is that the guest of honour as we saw in one of the dailies inside the plane, was the Senate President, David Mark. This is the same senate president who literally supervised the destruction of the Uwais report that went to the National Assembly. In other words, this was the man who supervised the mutilation, and destruction of the hope that this country had for a better electoral system. We cannot see how such a man can be the special guest of honour in a rally, which is all about free, fair and credible election after he has destroyed the report that virtually provided for free, fair and credible election.

“So, with all these contradictions, we discovered that the place was not for us and, therefore, we withdrew, excused ourselves, we wished them well and see how things unfold and we will let you know what our views are.”

Mr Soyinka, in reply to reporters’ questions, said: “Let me just put it this way, this is the last straw (pointing to a newspaper ). I saw this and this is the last straw, the guest of honour (David Mark).

That is all I will say to you right now. I think the people that gave me a ride will have a lot more to say (referring to Mr Tinubu and the AC delegation). The special guest of honour, for me, is Oro pesi je, as they say.” (Oro pesi je’ literally means ‘the matter is beyond comments.’) Mr Bugaje said attending such an event was antithetical to the beliefs of his party..

“Nigerians are already wise enough to see through some of these tricks and gimmicks. I don’t think anybody will be deceived by that kind of crowd, that this is the kind of crowd that gathers for electoral reform,” he said. “Nearly all the dignitaries that are elected officers there were the very beneficiaries of this corrupt, mutilated electoral system that was supervised by Maurice Iwu and how can these people really be there in the forefront in a rally which is all about free, fair and credible election?”