Police arrest 3 suspects with 20 mummified bodies in Edo

Operatives of the Edo Police Command have busted a suspected ritual shrine in Benin and arrested three suspects with 20 mummified bodies.

The command announced this on Thursday in Benin in a statement issued by its Deputy Public Relations Officer, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu.

The corpses, the police spokesperson said, were discovered in a building along Asoro slope, off Ekenhua road in Uzebu quarters, Benin.

“In pursuance of its operational mandate of nipping crimes in the bud, Operatives of the Edo State Police Command unravelled a suspected ritual shrine.

“Following credible information at the Command’s disposal that some corpses were discovered in a building along Asoro slope off Ekenhua road, Uzebu quarters, Benin city, operatives of the command immediately swung into action and mobilised to the scene.

“At the scene, three suspects were arrested while others fled.

“An intensive effort is ongoing to arrest the other suspects who were at large,” she said.

Items recovered at the scene, according to her, are 15 mummified male corpses, three mummified female corpses and two mummified children corpses.

“To this end, the state Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of state CID to carry out a discreet investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the discovered corpses.”

She enjoined the general public to be calm as the command would continue to ensure the safety of all law-abiding people in Edo.