The father of two, who also claimed to be working as a street sweeper in Lagos, said he was taking the skulls to an Islamic cleric for spiritual purposes when he was arrested.

He said he combined street sweeping with tailoring, adding that he wanted to use the skulls to make a ritual to draw more customers to his shop.

Ajenifuja said a friend connected him to the Islamic cleric.

He said,

“I am a tailor, but I also work with the Lagos State Government as a street sweeper from 11 pm to 2 am. While I was working one night, I saw a bag containing these things (the skulls). I initially wanted to drop the bag, but someone told me that the skulls could be used for some things.

“I contacted one of the boys that we usually talk together, named Saheed, and he gave me the Alfa’s phone number. When I called the Alfa, he told me to come to Ilorin. I have never been to Ilorin before, but he asked me to alight at a particular place where he would come to pick me.

“He had earlier asked me what I wanted to do with the items and I told him that I wanted what would bring more people to my shop.”

The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr, Ado Lawan, who paraded Ajenifuja along with other criminal suspects in the state, said he was arrested on March 26 by operatives of the Federal Highway Patrol Team of the command, led by one Mr. Erumebekakhue Benson.

He added that the team intercepted a commercial vehicle conveying seven passengers en route to Ilorin from Lagos.

He said when the passengers were searched, three skulls wrapped in a sack were recovered from a black bag belonging to Ajenifuja.

According to him, the suspect admitted to being the owner of the exhibits and claimed to be taking them to Ilorin from Lagos for ritual purposes.

The CP said the suspect would be arraigned after investigation.