Why I killed prostitute for ritual, by Kogi pastor

The embattled Pastor of Voice of Canaan Church, Cherubim and Seraphim, Azuri-Okene, in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State, Otaru Olusegun, who was arrested for allegedly killing one commercial sex worker for ritual, has said poverty led him into committing the crime.

He confessed to have killed Mercy Moses, a sex worker at Hollywood Hotel in Azuri community with the hope of raising N2.5 million from the ritual before he was arrested.

The pastor who was paraded with two of his accomplices, Yakubu Abdulmuminu and Samuel Olusegun at the state police command in Lokoja yesterday said he learnt the art and trade of money making ritual from his master at Abeokuta in Ogun State many years back.

Prophet Otaru, who pastors about 20 people before his arrest, said the church began many years ago, adding that the killing of the said prostitute for ritual marked the third time he was failing.

In earlier attempts, the 45-year-old prophet said he got his raw materials from burial ground by exhuming dead bodies, and got the recommended parts, which did not yield positive outcomes.

He confirmed sending two of his pastors, Samuel Olusegun, Yakubu Abdulmuminu and one Stephen who is at large to lure any prostitute for the money ritual. Otaru said one of his boys strangulated Mercy to death, stressing that they cut her body into pieces to ease their operation.

Corroborating Otaru’s claim, one of the suspects, Yakubu Abdulmuminu, disclosed that they raped the deceased before she was killed, and two of them (himself and Stephen) still had sex with her after she was killed, for protection from any form of attacks.

According to the police command Public Relation Officer, ASP Williams Aya, the three suspected ritualists were apprehended after a tip-off, adding that the command has recovered the body of the deceased from the suspects in pieces: head, legs, body and hands.

He said three suspects connected with the crime have been arrested, adding that they had confessed to the crime. He said the police is on the trail of the fourth suspect who is on the run.

Meanwhile, the command said it has in its custody six criminals that invaded and killed a police Inspector, Abdullai Alfa at Ugwolawo police station in November last year, and made away with his AK47 rifle and motorcycle from the station.

The PPRO said those arrested include Ubile Attah, Julius Alhassan, Akwu Audu, Shehu Alidu as well as Onuche James, Amidu Yakubu and Abdul Tijani, adding that the arrest of cultists at Anyigba end of the state led to the crackdown of the criminals as one of them confessed to the raid of the said police station.

According to one of the suspects. Ubile Attah, he gave out the group to the law enforcement agents because he was not given the money that was agreed upon before they embarked on the operation.