Court charges two men with alleged possession of human head

Two men, Mustapha Bello, 32, and Oladele Damilare, 25, appeared before the Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court on Monday, facing charges of unlawful possession of a human head and tampering with a corpse.

Bello, a carpenter, and Damilare, a barber, are accused of conspiracy, illegal possession, and disturbing the dead.

Prosecutor Insp. Femi Oluwadare informed the court that on August 12, the defendants allegedly exhumed the head of 36-year-old Suliyat Olasunkanmi from her grave without permission. The prosecution claims that they indecently dismembered the corpse, removing the head and hands.

Oluwadare added that Bello, who worked near the burial site, and Damilare returned the following day to complete the dismemberment. The charges contravene Sections 242 (1) (b), 329 A, and 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

If convicted, the men could face up to two years for tampering with a corpse and five years for possessing a human head. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Chief Magistrate M. Mudashiru granted bail to each defendant at N200,000, requiring two sureties per defendant—one being a blood relation and the other with a minimum bank balance of N5 million.

The case has been adjourned to October 21 for further hearing.