Herbalist caught with two human skulls says police have no right to arrest him
Police in Cross River have caught one Edem Bassey Otu, a traditional healer, with two human skulls.
Otu was allegedly preparing some cultists for an outing when he was arrested. He allegedly claimed police have no right to arrest him because the skulls they found in his shrine were left behind by his father, who died some eight years ago.
Bassey said he is a herbalist who treats people with different ailment and that he learnt the trade from his deceased father.
“I am a herbalist and I heal people with different sicknesses. I have my license to operate as a herbalist. Somebody ran in front of my house and the Police came to my house to arrest me. They have no right because I have been using these skulls for my job since my father left them for me some eight years ago,” he said.
Hafiz Mohammed Inuwa, the Commissioner of Police in the state, said the command had received a distress call from an unknown number that some group of cultists were undergoing a fortification ritual and they immediately swung into action.
“On 27th June 2018 at about 1400hrs, we received a distress call from an unknown number that some group of cultists were undergoing a fortification ritual,” he said.
“Anti-cultism/kidnapping squad swung into action and arrested one Otu Edem Bassey of 12b Etim Edem Street while others took to their heels.”
Inuwa said items recovered from Bassey include two human skulls, charms and other items used for incantation.
