A 14-year-old boy, identified as Malik Kareem, was on Saturday, reportedly beheaded for ritual purposes in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The incident that occurred at the Olorisaoko community in the Akinyele Local Government Area of the state has thrown the whole area into confusion.
Investigations by PUNCH revealed that the victim recently wrote his final subject for the West Africa Examination Council at Iyana Community Grammar School, Olode, Moniya, Ibadan.
Multiple sources said the victim, alongside his three other age groups, contacted a Muslim cleric, now at large, for a money ritual on that day.
The source said that unknown to him (the victim), the three other boys had bargained with the cleric to kill him for a money ritual.
Credible family sources said, “I was at home when one of my brothers ran to the house to inform me about the unfortunate incident. We quickly rushed down to the place to confirm it. When we got there, the Muslim cleric had already run away, but we found the victim’s lifeless body on the ground without a head.
“He was found in a pool of blood in that Islamic cleric’s house. The head has already been cremated.
“The other three boys had earlier bargained with the cleric that they would use their friend for a money ritual. So, when they got there, he (the victim) was strangulated to death, beheaded and cremated. They will be using it to take pap every day, according to what they told us.”
Another informed family source said, “The cleric house has been set ablaze by yet-to-be-identified youths in the area.”
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, said investigations had already commenced on the incident.
“Investigations have commenced on the incident, and you will be updated accordingly”, he stated.
