A 35-year-old herbalist and suspected member of a infamous syndicate of ritualists, Ifasoji Ayangbesan, who was arrested for allegedly killing and dismembering one Oyindamola Adeyemi in Ogun State, tells DAUD OLATUNJI about his involvement and why he provided the police N1m to affect his escape
you have been recognized as a herbalist. Do you’ve got one other occupation?
I’m a farmer and a herbalist. I’m the final born within the household. My father married many wives.
What’s your instructional background?
I attended Nazareth Secondary Faculty in Epe, Lagos. I didn’t go to the next establishment. I used to be advised that I used to be going to be a herbalist. My dad advised me that he had a session and was advised that I might develop into a herbalist.
Did you consider him?
No. I left for Lagos to do totally different jobs. I drove business bikes and buses, however I didn’t get any headway. I used to be advised that I had been ordained to be a herbalist. I needed to accept that.
How lengthy have you ever been working as a herbalist?
For 16 years. I thank God I can feed my household. I dwell in a rented residence. My home is below building.
What sort of farming do you do?
Peasant farming. I develop cassava on a plot of land I rented. I rent folks to weed and domesticate cassava for me.
For a way lengthy have you ever been engaged in farming?
I’ve been farming for a very long time, since once I was younger.
The place is your farm positioned?
My farm is in Ijebu-Iloti in Ijebu-Ode.
How do you mix farming along with your work as a herbalist?
I am going to the farm early within the morning, and I quiet down for my work as a herbalist and attend to folks within the night.
How did you develop into a herbalist?
I used to be born into it. My father was a herbalist. I additionally learnt it from one other skilled herbalist.
The place does he dwell?
He lives in Iloti, not too removed from my place.
What’s your father’s identify?
My dad’s identify is Kosija Ayangbesan. He died about 20 years in the past. My dad didn’t have any e-book of information, which we name an account, to me. He was an Ifa priest. My dad taught me, however he didn’t educate me learn how to be depraved.
Do you consider in cash rituals?
I don’t find out about that. I learnt about Ifa.
Do you assist folks, together with Web fraudsters, who need to get wealthy shortly?
No, I’ve not finished that for anyone. I don’t work for them (Web fraudsters). I solely assist folks with my information. I took the human half as a result of I didn’t know that the proprietor of the legs was killed.
Do you consider that you’ll get wealthy after utilizing the human legs for cash rituals?
I’ve by no means finished it in my life. I consider in it.
What did you intend to do with the cash you thought the cash rituals would offer you?
I deliberate to assist many Nigerians with it. I additionally deliberate to finance my kids’s schooling and handle my household and buddies.
However you have been arrested for cash rituals. Weren’t you?
It was my good friend that lured me into this (cash rituals). He’s from Ishiwo, he’s known as Egbeji. He inspired me to do it. He stated if I might attempt to do it, I might be wealthy and my life can be higher.
What precisely did he ask you to do?
He advised me to do cash rituals.
How did he ask you to go about it?
Lukman known as me and stated that he wished to promote one thing to me.
Who’s Lukman?
He lives in Ijebu-Ode. He’s a good friend. He was arrested in Ijebu-Ode for homicide. He advised me to speak to Egbeji to information me on learn how to go about cash rituals and I known as Egbeji who advised me the method.
Have you learnt what introduced you right here?
What occurred was {that a} man was arrested in Ijebu Ode. It was Lukman that pointed at me because the one he offered (human) legs to, and to be honest, I purchased the legs from him. Lukman offered the (human) legs to me.
What kind of legs did he promote to you?
He offered a useless particular person’s legs to me.
The place did he say he received the legs?
He stated he noticed it at a burial floor.
What number of transactions have you ever and Lukman finished collectively?
That was the primary time I purchased one (a pair of legs) from him.
Did you not request the legs?
He known as me and offered the legs for me on the charge of N20,000.
What number of legs did you purchase?
I purchased a pair of legs of a useless particular person from him, so I advised him I didn’t have the allure to make use of it for. He later stated he had somebody in Ishiwo known as Egbeji, a local of Ishiwo, and that he would put me by means of learn how to use it.
What’s Egbeji’s different identify?
Oye
What occurred subsequent?
So, I known as Egbeji to tell him. He gave me the go-ahead to purchase it (the pair of legs), and that he knew learn how to use it, so I purchased it.
The place’s he now?
He’s on the run.
What did you do with the legs?
I used it for cash rituals. I ready it as I used to be instructed, after which I put it inside a bottle for me to make use of. I burnt them to ashes with some elements.
Have you ever began utilizing it?
I’ve not began utilizing it. I threw it away when the matter got here up. He advised me he exhumed them (the legs) from a cemetery.
But it surely was stated that the legs have been contemporary. Weren’t they?
Sure. They have been contemporary.
Is it attainable to exhume contemporary legs from a cemetery?
I’m not mendacity. He introduced them to me. He stated he and others exhumed them from a cemetery. I’m not a assassin.
How lengthy have you ever been on this enterprise?
Which enterprise? We solely knew one another within the neighbourhood. We didn’t do any enterprise collectively.
For those who declare you didn’t have any enterprise with him, why did you bounce on his supply to promote severed human legs to you?
He advised me to purchase them and advised me to name a herbalist to information me on learn how to use them. After I advised him I wasn’t into this type of job, he advised me to name Egbeji.
How have been you arrested?
On January 3, 2023, I went to work within the Ajah space of Lagos. The following day, I used to be known as and advised that it was found that somebody offered (human) legs to me.
Who known as you?
The police known as, so I denied it, and I used to be afraid, and since then, I used to be on the run.
The place did you run to?
I ran to Ijebu-Mushin then. I simply went there to lie low.
Do you’ve got anyone there?
I don’t have anyone there. I used to be there for about two months. I’ve not been settled since I obtained that decision from the police.
Why didn’t you give up when the police known as you?
I didn’t see the decision from the police, that’s why I didn’t present up.
However you stated earlier that the police known as and that was why you ran to Mushin. Are you denying your assertion?
Oh, no. It was my daughter that known as to tell me that the police have been round, and as she was speaking, I knew the police have been round.
Did you utilize the chance to run away since your daughter known as?
No. I went to Ajah to work for a consumer then.
Which work did you do in Ajah?
I went to satisfy a consumer to carry out some rituals.
What made you are taking steps to carry out cash rituals?
Nothing, my good friend advised me if I used them (the legs), I might be wealthy, not that I’m in poverty.
The place did you get the N1m that was discovered with you?
When the police got here to my home, I wasn’t round. I used to be advised that they took my machine, generator, gasoline and wristwatch. So, I went again to Ijebu-Mushin to satisfy somebody, and he stated he would assist me get a lawyer.
Did you inform the particular person what you probably did?
No. The particular person advised me he received a lawyer. He additionally advised me that I might spend cash. I advised him I didn’t have a lot, and begged him to assist me. So, I gathered N1m.
How lengthy did it take you to lift the cash?
I received it in a month.
Did you give the cash to the lawyer?
He stated we must always go to the station to know the state of affairs. After we received to the station, I used to be advised to carry N10m, however I begged them to simply accept N1m.
What was the N10m for, to cowl the crime?
I don’t perceive too, however I raised N1m.
Because you paid N1m, why have been you detained?
I used to be requested who advised me to carry the cash. I advised them no person besides God, in order that they requested me to sit down down. They put the cash in entrance of me and took pictures of me.
Do you know that you just dedicated an offence for which you have been arrested?
I do know.
What number of kids do you’ve got?
I can not say it. The Yoruba consider we must always not state the variety of one’s kids.
How about your wives? What number of do you’ve got?
I don’t need to announce the quantity.
You’ve got some tattoos in your physique. Is that a part of what makes you a herbalist, or do you belong to a cult group?
I’m not a cultist. I went to Lagos that day and noticed folks in a motor park doing it (having a tattoo), so I finished and had mine. At the moment, it value N3,000 or N4,000.
Your tattoo reads ‘Dr Olaifa’. Are you a physician?
I consider that as a herbalist and Ifa priest, I’m a physician. I’m a herbalist who helps folks to make sacrifices and exorcise folks from non secular issues. I don’t kill folks. I’m not a killer. I urge for mercy from the federal government. I promise that I can’t do it once more. I simply need the federal government to indicate mercy. I need the federal government to forgive me. I do know it (the crime) has occurred however I plead with the federal government to set me free.
The place are your loved ones members and have they arrive to see you?
They dwell in Lagos. They haven’t come. My wives have already left me. The primary day the incident grew to become public, they packed out of my residence.
