Scary Shrine Where Money Rituals And Other Fraudulent Acts Goes On Daily Uncovered In Ife

This is a must read for all to learn lessons of life and
avoid becoming a victim. It is for real. Merely looking
at the images within a shrine discovered in Ife, Osun
State, is enough to make many become lily-livered.
While it was initially thought to be a haven for rituals,
arrested suspect has confessed to have employed
tricks to hoodwink his victims.
THE Osun State Police Command has made a
startling discovery of a shrine at Mosarajo village,
along Ifewara road, via Ile-Ife, Osun State, built
purposely to swindle undetecting people who are
seeking spiritual help from traditional doctors.
For those who are not strong hearted, a visit to the
shrine would send shivers down their spine while
they are likely to have nightmares over and over
again because of the scary images and fetish objects
found within the premises. Information revealed that
the hideout, built deep into the bush, by one Aliyu
Mutairu, a.k.a. Abu Ragbaja an indigene of Inisa
town, Osun State, was discovered when a part of his
fence collapsed and some of the images were sighted
by those who passed by the fenced structure.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police Mohammed
Jimoh reportedly led detectives to Lamecco area,
Ilobu road where one Aliyu Mutairu, suspected to be
the owner of the shrine was arrested.
After the discovery and arrest of the owner, police
detectives, led by the Assistant Commissioner of
Police, and joined by Assistant Commissioner in
charge of Ife area Command, Yinka Abdulkadir Jimoh;
Divisional Police Officers, 'A' and 'C' Divisions, Ile-Ife,
police image maker, Folasade Odoro and other
officers visited the shrine some weeks ago.
The Commissioner of Police Dorothy Gimba was also
said to have visited the place to see things herself.
Discovered were six tombs with different names such
as Iya Egungun Agan, Abore Akoko, Apena Oodua,
Awise Ifa, Apena Orisa and Oluwo Agba written on
them. There were also different shrines with names
such as Sango (Yoruba's god of thunder), Yemoja,
Esu Laalu, Allale, Igba Irunmale and Egungun.
Huts containing fearful statues, a structure designed
with a fearful image of a lion, a coffin with a live
python in it and mermaid statue were among other
things found at the shrine. Also recovered from the
shrine were 26 bundles and 12 pieces of fake US 100
dollar notes, a mortar containing black soap, a
beaded crown and a walking stick.
Hundreds of residents of the village and adjoining
ones reportedly stormed the shrine to destroy it,
surprised that such a place had been within their
community undiscovered. It was learnt that the
secret of the existence of the shrine was blown open
when a part of the fence erected round it collapsed,
exposing some of the bizarre statues within the
compound.
When he was arrested, the suspect, who was said to
be married to three wives and recently brought a
fourth lover to a settlement close to the shrine,
denied engaging in rituals but confessed that he had
been obtaining money under false pretence from his
victims.
He also revealed that a palace chief was one of his
group members. He revealed that the mermaid
statue which was sculptured by a deep well had
ground pipes connected to it which supplies water.
One of his syndicate members would blow a hose
passed through it. This would make water to drip
from the hands of the mermaid to further hoodwink
his clients.
In an interview, the suspect spoke on his criminal
exploits in connivance with other members of his
gang. How he started I was in Lagos selling herbs
when a man called SOJ from Ekiti State who noticed
that people used to patronise me told me that I could
make much money from my customers by exploiting
their needs. SOJ took me to other fraudsters in Lagos
State in 2003 and I was introduced to this business.
"I rented a room in Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos State
beside Guru Maharaj Ji's place of worship. However,
others members used to give me little from whatever
was made and I was not happy about it. I left the
group to establish my own shrine in Ife in January
this year when I was outsmarted by my group in
Lagos.
"The experience I gained from them is what I am
using to dupe people. Six of us are into the business
of obtaining money from people under false
pretence. They are 'Iya Gbogbo'; Kabiru who stays in
Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State; Chief Aro, a palace chief who
has my type of shrine; Rasak who stays in Ijebu-Ode,
Ifayemi and Fakeye. They used to bring clients who
are seeking spiritual assistance to me and I would
stay in the lion house pretending to be an elderly
man. Chief Aro and I were on a big job when I was
arrested.
"Though I have been arrested by the police, the chief
and one 'Iya Gbogbo' are still on the job. I don't know
the name of our victim but we call her 'Iya'. She is
from Abuja and is seeking for a posting in a
government office in Abuja. I have collected
N400,000 only from her".
On how he built the shrine I brought Hausa men from
Kaduna to build the huts and the underground. A
man called Nautica who is a film producer did the
sculpture works. He stays in Abeokuta. I paid him
about N800, 000 for the job, including the tombs. I
paid the mallams N300,000. I also hired about 10
men from Sabo for the construction.
I paid N1,500 per day and completed the place in
four months, working non-stop. I came from Lagos
with N4million for the construction and also graded
the road to the place. I am yet to recover my money
fully. On the fake dollars I used to keep them in the
coffin beside the live snake.
An Igbo man brought them from Alaba in Lagos and
sold to me at the rate of N25,000 per pack containing
100 pieces. I don't know his real name but he is
popularly called Dollars. He changes his mobile lines
always. Whenever he brought the fake dollars, he
would call that he was at Lagere.
A few minutes after, he would move from that spot to
another until I would get him. He was always
cautious to prevent being arrested. How he went
undetected I am so skilled that my job was always
perfect without mistake. Victims were usually
brought to me by others in the business. I can even
take the police to other shrines located on Ondo road.
I used to prescribe herbs to those looking for children
before I started the fraud business, and God used to
answer their prayers. Same goes for those looking for
partners. My victims could not have detected that I
was deceiving them because the rooms I use are
always dark so they cannot identify me.
My mode of dressing also makes identification
difficult. I can get up to four or five victims in a week.
I always stay in the lion house. Classes of victims
They are those looking for money, husbands, wives or
children. Others are those who are sick or want to
take the positions of their colleagues. For those
looking for money, I start to extort them little by
little, starting from N100,000.
I would tell them that I used the money for ritual to
the python so that it would bring money. If I see that
the client is able to raise the money in time, I would
trick him into bringing more. After about three times,
I would demand for a million naira for further
sacrifice. If I see that he is unable to raise that in
time, I would call and tell him that my child had died
or was sick; or even tell him that I had been befallen
with a great sickness due to the sacrifice I carried out
and that the python still needs more sacrifice of
blood.
That will scare such client from coming back to ask
for all the money he had initially brought. For others,
when they bring money, I would keep it beside the
snake in the coffin. I would, in exchange, keep some
fake dollars beside the python in the coffin and would
then tell my client that since the snake has brought
some money, he would need to buy between seven
and nine cows for sacrifice.
After he must have brought the cows or pay for them
in cash, I would then say that the snake would
release the money after the sacrifice. I would repeat
the same lies that would scare such a person off used
to share the proceeds with members of the
syndicate.
Reacting to the discovery, the state Police Public
Relations Officer, Folasade Odoro, a Deputy
Superintendent of Police, said that the Commissioner
of Police Dorothy Gimba has tasked the State
Criminal Investigation Department to carry out a
diligent investigation to unravel those behind the
running of the shrine.
The Commissioner of Police warns youths who are
desperate to make money to desist from criminal
acts and engage in lawful means of making such
money or else, they would face the full wrath of the
law, the PPRO said. She added that CP Gimba
cautioned members of the public who are desperate
for money to desist from pursuing destructive
ambitions so as not to continually fall victims of
fraudsters.
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