Money ritual: Court remands teenagers who allegedly beheaded Ogun girl

The police on Thursday arraigned four teenagers who allegedly killed a 20-year-old girl, Sofiat Kehinde, at an Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court sitting at Isabo, Ogun State.

The defendants, Balogun Mustaqeem, 20; Majekodunmi Soliudeen,18; Abdulgafar Lukman,19; and Waris Oladeinde,18; were arraigned on two counts of conspiracy and murder.

The boys were arrested last Saturday for allegedly severing the head of Kehinde, which they burnt in a pot for a ritual.

Soliudeen was arrested after he initially fled.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Lawrence Balogun, told a packed courtroom that the defendants allegedly committed the offence around 11pm on January 28 at the Kugba area in Abeokuta.

Balogun alleged that the defendants conspired among themselves and murdered Kehinde, who was Soliudeen’s girlfriend.

He said they killed her by cutting off her head with a cutlass.

According to the prosecutor, the defendants murdered Kehinde with the plan to use her for money rituals.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened sections 324 and 316 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State 2006.

He said, “They unlawfully killed Sofiat Kehinde, aged 20, by cutting off her head, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable Section 319 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, 2006.”

Magistrate, I. O Abudu, who did not take the plea of the defendants, ordered that they be remanded in prison.

Abudu ordered that they be remanded in the Oba Custodial Centre pending legal advice from the Ogun State directorate of public prosecutions.

The case was adjourned till March 14 for mention.