In a tale of deception and desperation, Poni Bada, a 50-year-old
farmer from Benin,
hatched a sinister plan to use his own nine-year-old son,
Agbe, for money rituals. He embarked on this dark journey to Nigeria,
accompanied by three men: Ige Koselu, Benjamin Balovi, and Segun Shile. Their
destination was a herbalist’s home in Owode, Ogun State, where the money ritual
was supposed to take place.
Pooling together N100,000, the trio contributed the funds needed
to initiate the ritual, with the hope of sharing in the ill-gotten gains once
the process succeeded. However, their malevolent scheme was thwarted when the
police, acting on credible intelligence, raided the herbalist’s shrine at the
Zone 2 Command, Onikan Lagos. All the suspects were apprehended, and the
innocent young Agbe was rescued from becoming a sacrificial lamb.
It was revealed that Agbe had been brought from Benin Republic a
month earlier to work on a farmland in Nigeria, where he was paid a meager
N5,000. Displeased with this paltry amount, his father, Poni Bada, decided to
take extreme measures to improve his family’s dire circumstances. He believed
that sacrificing Agbe in a money ritual would bring them wealth and prosperity.
His brother, Benjamin Balovi, living in Ilaro, Ogun State, was aware of the plan
and helped facilitate the child’s relocation.
However, the herbalist they sought initially declined to engage
in such a vile act. Another herbalist in Owode was willing, but he warned them
against using the boy for the ritual. Despite the warning, the group persisted,
and after collecting the funds, the herbalist alerted the authorities, leading
to their arrest.
Segun Shile, one of the accomplices and a commercial
motorcyclist, expressed remorse for his involvement. He regretted not heeding
the herbalist’s advice, and he disclosed that they had tried four different
herbalists before finding one willing to entertain their sinister request.
Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, Command, AIG
Muhammed Ali, confirmed the arrest and rescue of the young boy, Agbe. Following
the investigation, Agbe would be taken to a juvenile home, providing him with a
chance for a better and safer future away from the clutches of those who sought
to exploit him for their malevolent desires.
