Mortuary attendant in police custody for selling human skull to herbalist for N10,000

One Seun Falana, a mortuary attendant has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly exhuming a corpse and severing the skull at the Trinity Cemetery, Ajegunle area of the state.

Falana was alleged to have sold the skull to a herbalist, Olawale Shodolamu for the sum of N10,000.

Falana and Shodolamu were apprehended after one Dauda Tijani, who the herbalist had sent to pick up the skull was accosted by policemen on stop and search duty at Alakija Bus Stop on the Lagos-Badagdry Expressway.

The spokesman of the command, Bala Elkana, in a statement on Sunday, said that during interrogation, Tijani confessed that Shodolamu sent him to pick up the skull, adding that when the herbalist was arrested, he revealed the identity of the mortuary attendant, who was also apprehended.

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Elkana stated: “On Sunday, March 1, 2020, around 1.30pm, a team of policemen from the Area ‘E’ Command, Festac, while on routine stop and search patrol at the Alakija bus stop, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, intercepted one Dauda Tijani, 42, of No. 23 Omowunmi Street, Orege, Ajegunle, with a black polythene bag containing a human skull.

“He confessed that he was sent by one herbalist, Olawale Shodolamu, 70, to collect the skull from a cemetery attendant. The said herbalist was also arrested. He claimed that he bought the human skull from one Seun Falana, 37, an employee of Trinity Cemetery, Ajegunle, for the sum of N10,000.

“Shodolamu said he usually grinds the human skull with other substances to prepare charms for his customers. The third suspect was equally arrested. He confessed to digging out graves to remove human skulls to sell to herbalists. An investigation is ongoing. The suspects will soon be charged.”

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