Police arrest Ogun resident ‘bathing with blood in river’

The Ogun police command says it has arrested a 49-year-old man who was bathing with blood in a river at Kotopo village in Odeda LGA of the state.

In a statement on Thursday, Abimbola Oyeyemi, police spokesperson in the state, said the man, identified as Ganiyu Shina, was arrested after members of the community sighted him with a local sponge and a blood-filled container inside the river.

Oyeyemi said the suspect fled the area but was apprehended by members of the community.

He said the suspect alleged that it was the blood of a cow, and that a herbalist gave him the directive as a result of his spiritual problem.

“The suspect was arrested when members of the community sighted him at the river bank where he parked his Nissan commercial vehicle, came out with a local sponge and a container filled with blood and started bathing with it,” the statement reads.

“Immediately he discovered that some people are watching him, he took to his heels but was chased and apprehended by members of the community.

“A call was made to the police at Aregbe divisional headquarters by a member of the community, and the DPO, SP Bunmi Asogbon, quickly led the patrol team to the scene, from where the suspect was brought to the station.

“On interrogation, the suspect claimed to have a spiritual problem, and that a herbalist instructed him to perform the ritual. He claimed further the blood in his possession is not human blood, but that of a cow.”

The spokesperson said Lanre Bankole, commissioner of police in the state, ordered that a laboratory test be conducted on the remaining blood to verify if it belongs to a human.

The commissioner commended members of the community for involving the police, adding that the command will ensure the matter is investigated thoroughly.