A Federal Road Safety Corps officer, Funmilayo Lasisi, and her young daughter, Sewa, have been found dead in Osun State days after they were declared missing, deepening public concern over rising cases of brutality and ritual-motivated killings across the country.
Funmilayo, who served in Abeokuta, was last seen on 2 November after leaving home with her male companion, identified as Mr. Victor Fajemirokun, whom she had recently been involved with following the collapse of her marriage.
Family members raised alarm when she failed to return home, prompting a missing-person report at the Kemta Divisional Police Headquarters on 5 November.
Her disappearance triggered a multi-state search. The case took a grim turn on 6 November, when investigators traced leads to a compound in Osun State belonging to a traditional healer.
Officers stormed the premises and found mutilated remains believed to be those of the FRSC officer.
Items suspected to be human body parts were recovered in the building and surrounding areas. Further search efforts led to the discovery of remains linked to her daughter, intensifying suspicions that the crime was part of a wider, coordinated ritual operation involving multiple individuals.
The herbalist in custody made disturbing statements that placed Victor at the center of the plot, stating that Funmilayo was lured from Ogun State under the guise of meeting a family member.
He also stated that Sewa was kept at the residence until Victor and his associates moved her away the following day, an act believed to have been aimed at eliminating any trace that could expose the crime.
READ ALSO: Police probe ritual killing of pregnant woman in Ilorin
As pressure mounted on investigators, Victor fled Nigeria, prompting an international manhunt. Intelligence sharing between the Nigeria Police Force, Interpol, and Ghanaian security agencies led to his arrest at a friend’s residence in Ghana.
He was repatriated to Nigeria on 22 November and is currently in police custody for further interrogation.
Security agencies say forensic examinations, including DNA tests and autopsy procedures, are ongoing to conclusively match all remains recovered at the scene.
Multiple arrests have been made, and more suspects are being tracked across different states as investigators work to dismantle the network behind the killings.
Funmilayo’s colleagues at the FRSC described her as hardworking and dedicated, expressing shock at the cruel manner in which she and her daughter were murdered.
The tragedy has sparked renewed calls for stronger oversight on ritual-related crimes, stricter screening of traditional healing centres, and tighter cross-border surveillance to prevent suspects from evading justice.
Funmilayo and Sewa are being mourned nationwide as authorities intensify efforts to bring every accomplice involved in the gruesome murder to justice. May their souls rest in peace.
Crediblenewsng.com
