The Police Command has arrested two men Saidi Mutiu, 41, and Olasunkanmi Oladejo, 35, for unlawful possession of a human skull.
The duo was arraigned on Thursday by Oyo State Police Command.
The Mutiu and Oladejo were trialled on a three-count charge bothering on alleged conspiracy, unlawful possession and interfering with a human corpse.
Mutiu of Idi-Arere area, Ibadan, and Oladejo of Oju-Odo area, Academy, Ibadan, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
But the police prosecutor, Foluke Adedosu, had informed the court that the defendants allegedly conspired to commit the act of misconduct concerning the corpse.
She said on August 31, at about 1.30 pm at Challenge area in Ibadan, the defendants allegedly had in their possession one human head without lawful justification.
“The duo of Mutiu and Oladejo was alleged to have indecently interfered with a corpse by removing the head without lawful justification. The defendants allegedly tampered with the corpse buried at a Muslim burial ground in Ibadan where they dug the grave and cut the corpse’s head.
“Mutiu and Olasunkanmi were caught while driving in an unregistered Toyota car travelling towards Ibadan-Lagos expressway by the Federal Highway Police patrol team on stop and search. The vehicle was searched by the police, the corpse’s head was concealed in a black cellophane bag in the car,” she said.
Adedosu added that the offence contravened Sections 242, 329A and 516 of the Criminal Code Laws of Oyo State 2000.
The magistrate, Mrs I. O Osho eventually, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum each and adjourned the case till December 21, 2021, for hearing.
