Police in Osun State have arrested three men who confessed to the brutal murder of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) officer Lasisi Funmilayo and her 12‑year‑old daughter. The suspects – Fajemirokun Victor (38), an alleged male friend of the victim; Gboyega Aberefa (39), a self‑styled herbalist; and Sunday James (38), Aberefa’s disciple – described in graphic detail how the mother and child were killed and their bodies dismembered.
Osun Police Commissioner Ibrahim Gotan told journalists at the command headquarters on Wednesday that the investigation began after Victor’s wife reported him missing. She said Victor had travelled to Ikoyi, Lagos, but only his vehicle was later found abandoned on a road.
Further inquiries led officers to the herbalist, who was arrested on December. Under questioning, Aberefa admitted that Victor had brought the FRSC officer and her daughter to his shrine in Ijebu‑Jesa on 5 December for a “money ritual”. According to the police, the trio – Aberefa, Victor and James – were assisted by two other men, Kehinde and Idowu, who are still at large.
_Fajemirokun Victor_ told investigators that he took the officer to the herbalist because he believed she was the cause of his misfortunes. “After they told me she had to be killed for me to succeed, I agreed. After the killing I was disturbed, I ran away, left my car on the road, went to Ibadan and later fled to Ghana,” he said.
_Gboyega Aberefa_ confirmed that Victor brought the mother and daughter to his compound, insisting they be killed. “He said she was behind his misery and demanded we kill them. I refused to let the killing happen inside my house, so I called some boys who took them into the bush, slaughtered them, removed some organs and dumped the bodies – the mother in the Esa‑Odo river and the child in a nearby bush,” Aberefa recounted.
Sunday James_ corroborated the herbalist’s account, adding that the group had planned the ritual to obtain body parts for “spiritual enrichment”.
The police have recovered the victims’ heads and several organs, which were seized as evidence. The two fugitives, Kehinde and Idowu, are being pursued, and authorities have appealed for any information that could lead to their arrest.
The case has shocked the community and highlighted concerns over ritual killings linked to herbalists and occult practices in the region. The FRSC has expressed its condolences to the family of the slain officer and called for stricter enforcement against such crimes.
