Fear gripped residents of Ipokia community in the Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State as some yet-to-be identified ritualists reportedly invaded the community and dug out over 40 skulls from graves.

It was gathered that the ritualists usually operate at night when people must have slept off.

A source said the ritualists invaded different parts of the town, dug the graves to exhume skulls and other human parts.

Some of the residents who spoke said they have counted over 40 graves that have been dug by the ritualists .

Some of the sources said that the ritualists started the act about two months ago and have succeeded in making away with scores of dry human heads.

It was gathered that nobody had been arrested since the exhumation of corpses began in Ipokia town.

However, residents of Ipokia said none of the security agencies which include police, Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the So-Safe Corps, and the Amotekun Corps had devised any means to track down those behind the removal of skulls from graves in the town.

A source said, “They sneak into people’s compounds, dig the graves, and removed the skull and any other parts they need.

"They will do it in a manner residents won’t wake up to know there is anything going on around them. You will just wake up in the morning to see that the grave in your compound has been dug and the skull removed. But nobody has been arrested since two months ago when this aberration started,” he added.

Speaking with newsmen, an elder in Ipokia, Samuel Adeyemi, said two corpses were dug out in his compound on Friday, lamenting that nobody was doing anything to stop the act.

Adeyemi said the ritualists were becoming more desperate in their bid to steal as many skulls from the tombs in Ipokia, for reasons best known to them.

He said that he had reported the incident to the police, urging the authorities concerned to act fast and bring the perpetrators to book.

“Dead bodies are no longer safe in Ipokia because some people want to become billionaires overnight. Please help us,” he lamented.

When contacted, the Ogun State police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he had yet to be briefed about the incident.

Oyeyemi, however, promised to contact the Ipokia Divisional Police Officer for details. (The PUNCH)

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