Suspected ritualists murder 78-year-old widow in Ekiti, remove vital organs

There was tension in Ikere-Ekiti, headquarters of Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti State following the gruesome murder of a 78-year-old widow by suspected ritualists. It was learnt that the victim, Mrs. Sabianah Aranilewa, was slaughtered before her blood and vital organs were drained and removed respectively for ritual purposes by the suspect.

The deceased’s son, Mr. Eyitope Aranilewa, told reporters that his mother got missing on Friday, May 29 at about 6:45a.m. while washing clothes in front of her residence at the popular Moshood road, Odo-Oja area of Ikere-Ekiti.

He said his mother’s friend, simply identified as Mrs. Ojolo, raised the alarm and organised a search party but efforts to find her proved abortive until 4:00p.m. when her body was found inside a shallow flowing stream with her throat slit and vital organs harvested.

“On that fateful day, I got a distress call that my mother was missing. It was my mother’s friend, who lives within a short distance from her shop that raised the alarm when she did not see her in the shop. The matter was instantly reported to the police. It was while at the police station that information came that her body was found at a place not far from the home,” he said.

When contacted, the Ekiti Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Sunday Abutu, confirmed the incident, describing it as unfortunate and mysterious.