Osun Govt rescues 11 lunatics from suspected ritualist den

No fewer than 11 mentally deranged persons have been rescued by the Osun state government from a suspected ritualist, Mr Isiaka Akande who is running an orthodox psychiatric centre.

The lunatics were evacuated from Akande’s house at Aagba, Boripe Local Government of the state by a team of police and officers of the Osun Destitute Rehabilitation Programme (OREHAB) on Friday.

One of the mentally challenged people being treated had been killed and mutilated by Akande and a friend herbalist, Rasidi Ajibade for ritual purpose.

Akande and Ajibade were caught with the deceased head’s, hands, private part and intestine at Oluode market in Osogbo, some few days ago on their way to make use of the parts for ritual.

While Akande fled and escaped arrest on the day, Ajibade was arrested by the police who later arrested Akande last week Monday at his residence at Aagba.

The police evacuated six of the insane people and kept them at the State Criminal Investigation Department.

The six mentally deranged people are: Mutiyat Otitan, Afolabi Femi, Yemisi Babatunde, Alawumi Aladokun, Ajara and Taiwo Jolayemi.

Both Akande and Ajibade confessed to the crime before newsmen.

When the state government was informed on the Akande’s psychiatric centre, the Commissioner for Social Protection, Sports and Special Needs, Comrade Biyi Odunlade led a team of police led by the Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Folasade Odoro and officials of the OREHAB to evacuate the rest of the insane people.

Five mentally challenged people who were chained and looking unkempt in the uncompleted building of Akande were evacuated. They were: Taofeek, Toyin Ogunleye, Ayobami Adijat, Mosudi and one old woman who could neither walk nor talk.

Akande led the police and journalists to where he and his herbalist friend buried the remains of the murdered lunatic behind his house, confessing that his friend lured him into money ritual.

All the lunatics including those that were earlier evacuated by the police were taken to the state government rehabilitation centre at Ilobu where they were fed, bathed and treated by doctors.

Speaking with newsmen, Odunlade said the state government would conduct primary assessment on the lunatics to ascertain the severity of their insanity, saying that the process would guide them to know which one to be treated at state or teaching hospital.

According to Odunlade, all the mentally challenged people would go through psychosocial test to know those who were stable mentally or not, disclosing that once they were stable mentally, they would be reintegrated into the society and their various families specifically.

The commissioner disclosed that the state government had rehabilitated and reintegrated 160 mentality challenged people with the programme.