Police arrest Beninese father, others over attempted use of son for ritual

<p>Segun Shile said he was at Oja-Odan working as a welder when Koshelu met him that someone wanted to do money ritual with his son</p>, <span>Nigerian Police officers on the run (Illustraton - NewDawnNigeria)</span>, <h2>The Zone 2 Police Command has arrested a 50-year-old Beninoir father, Pome Banda, and three others who allegedly lured a nine-year-old boy from Benin Republic for money ritual.</h2>, <p>The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Ari Mohammed, disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos.</p>, <p>Mohammed said in the process of their plans, Zone 2 Criminal Investigation Department got information about them and the police acted as the herbalist who wanted to help them to use the boy for money ritual.</p>, <p>He said the operatives started discussing with the boy’s father, his brother living in Nigeria, one Benjamin Balobi, and two Nigerians – Segun Shile and Ige Koshelu.</p>, <p>The AIG said that Banda left Ajah Jakatome, his hometown in Benin Republic and came to Nigeria on May 30, 2023 with his son after telling him that they were coming to secure a housemaid job for him.</p>, <p>He said the boy was given to a man simply identified as Baba Shina, now at large, as his house help.</p>, <p>Mohammed said after the boy lived with Baba Shina for a month, he was then taken back to Cotonou and N35,000 was given to his father in his presence as salary so as to confuse the boy.</p>, <p>He said that between June 17 and 23, Banda, after making final arrangement with other suspects, brought the boy from Benin Republic again to Nigeria for money making ritual purpose.</p>, <p>The AIG said the four suspects involved were arrested at Sango Ota in Ogun, the presumed native doctor place, stressing that all suspects have confessed to the crime.</p>, <p>He said they would be charged to court soon at the completion of investigation.</p>, <p>The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during interrogation, the boy’s father who spoke through an interpreter at the Zone 2 Police Command Headquarters, Onikan Lagos, said h