An Ibadan-based herbalist and social media influencer, Sultan Ojuwoni Atakoro and one Olaitan Ibrahim Olalekan have been remanded in prison for hypnotising a 21-year-old girl, Firdaos Jimoh, raping her and setting the victim ablaze.
The order was issued by Magistrate Kolawole Aluko of a Magistrate court in Ilorin, Kwara State, which ruled that the defendants remain at the Correctional Service Centre, Oke-Kura, Ilorin, till January 17, 2024.
The Kwara State Police Command which charged the suspects, told the court through the Police First Information Report (FIR), that the herbalist committed the crime in his shrine in Ibadan, Oyo State, conniving with Olalekan and one Omowunmi and her children who are now at large.
The magistrate rejected the plea of the suspects when the FIR was read to them.
Magistrate Aluko also said the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the offences for which they were charged.
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He, however, listened to the submissions of the prosecution and the counsel for the second defendant after which he ordered the remand of the suspects and adjourned the case till January 17, 2024, for mention.
The Magistrate declared that the offences for which the suspects were charged were not ordinarily bailable.
According to the FIR, the matter was reported on 30/11/2023 at about 14.30 hours to the Area Commander, Ilorin metropolis of the Kwara State police command through a petition by one Hassan A. Gobir on behalf of Hajia Kadijat Ayinke Jimoh of No 38 Ifesowapo, Ita-Elepa, Asa Dam of Ilorin, the state capital.
The FIR disclosed that sometime in July 2023, the complainant entrusted her daughter named Firdaus Jimoh who was learning fashion and designing to the suspect and Omowunmi Ahmed with a promise to take good care of her.
However, in a turn of events, Omowunmi, now at large, informed the complainant that an unidentified person stole gold jewellery valued at N800,000.
Omowunmi allegedly conspired with his three daughters to deceive the victim, Firdaus Jimoh and took her to Sultan Ojuwoni Atakoro shrine at Ibadan under false pretence that they will use spiritual means to find the person who stole the gold.
The FIR further alleged that Sultan Atakoro, “kept calabash in front of Firdaus Jimoh, forced her to kneel naked, poured some inflammable substance on her body and started chanting some incantations, which led to the burning of her entire body.
“You also inserted an object into her private part and raped her twice in that painful condition. Your action caused grievous bodily hurt to her by diabolical and dangerous means.”