Pastor confesses...We use human heads to prepare prosperity rituals for church members                                                        

Written by SIMON EBEGBULEM   

Vanguard Saturday, 31 May 2008

THE police in Zone 5 Headquarters, Benin paraded a couple said to be pastors of a church in Asaba, Delta State, for alleged involvement in ritual killing. The couple who gave their names as Benjamin  and Patience Ojobu were arrested last weekend allegedly with fresh human head in their house, after the police got a petition alleging that the couple engaged in using human skulls to prepare charms for worshippers in their church.

Following the petition against the couple from neighbours, Sunday Vanguard learnt that the police commenced investigation into the matter. Having monitored the couple for weeks as church members during which both the old and the young allegedly thronged their residence to purchase one charm or the other, a crack team of detectives from the office of the AIG Benin, in collaboration with men of the Delta State police, stormed the residence of the couple in Asaba to effect their arrest.

However, the raid, it was learnt, was not quite easy, as they had to contend with Patience who allegedly tried to escape with a bag when she sighted the police officers. But she was over powered by the policemen who searched the bag and allegedly found a human head said to be that of a teenage girl. It was said that after the discovery, Benjamin knelt down in tears and started confessing.

The Zonal Police public relations officer, ASP Ebi Orubibi, described the alleged action of the couple as barbaric and vowed that they would be tried according to the law after investigation. He narrated: “We received a petition that the couple who are members of the OO Obu in Asaba were involved in rituals. After that, we commenced investigation and our men moved in to effect their arrest. When they got there, the woman tried to escape with a bag but she was overpowered. They have confessed that they use human head to fight witchcraft and also concoction for prosperity and for other spiritual purposes. We discovered that the human head is that of a teenage girl. We are still investigating the issue but it is very sad that people who call themselves men of God will engage in such act and deceive their followers.

After investigation, they will be   prosecuted according to the law. But we are still investigating whether  there are other persons involved in this operation. And after thorough investigation, they will be charged to court for trial”.

Answering questions from newsmen, the suspects claimed they bought the human heads from a man  working  at the cemetery for N3,000 each, adding that they used the heads to prepare charms for fighting witchcraft and special prayers for prosperity.

The suspect, Benjamin, spoke to Sunday Vanguard.
How old are you?
I am barely 51 now.

What brought you to the police?
It was the police that brought me here because they discovered a human head in my house.

How did you get the human head?
I got it through somebody called John who works in a cemetery. He brought it for me and said I should buy and I bought  it for N3,000. But I am so sorry now, I did not know it is an offence.

You are a man of God in this white garment church. Why are you involved in rituals?
Yes, I am a man of God. But I do this outside church hours. I am both a native doctor and a man of God. This is my personal practice, I do it to complement my church job and I have been assisting a lot of people with it. I use human skulls to do charms for prosperity, to make money and for protection. After preparing the charms, I give them to members of our church and other people who are not members.

So how do you feel now?
I am very sorry, I am not happy at all because of my condition. I never knew it is a crime that I was committing. If I had known, I would not have done what I did.

Is your wife involved in this with you?
No. She is not aware of this.