Pastor jailed 3yrs for possessing human parts

•It will serve as deterrent to others — Magistrate

A Chief Magistrate Court, sitting in Akure, the Ondo state capital, has sentenced a self acclaimed pastor, Solomon Bello, to three years imprisonment, for being in possession of human parts.

The 35 year old convict was earlier charged with two counts of conspiracy and unlawful possession.

Police prosecutor, Inspector, Abayomi Jejeniwa, while reading the facts of the case, said the convict, on January 14, at about 7a.m. in Morayo Street Ayeyemi area of Ondo, conspired with some people at large to prepare a criminal charm with human parts.

Jejeniwa alleged that the convict, unlawfully had in his possession the following items; a transparent plastic container containing clean sliced pieces of human heart tissue which were from two human adult hearts, two bone structures of human neck and the vertebrae colon.

The prosecutor added that one wooden casket containing different criminal charms and kolanut was also found in the convict’s possession.

According to the prosecutor, “the convict, when arrested, could not give satisfactory account of how he came about it to the police”. Jejeniwa said the offence contravenes sections 213(b) and 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 370, Vol.I, Laws of Ondo State, 2006

He called three witnesses, and tendered the found items as exhibit, to prove his case.

The prosecutor prayed the court to punish him accordingly to serve as a deterrent to others who might want to engage in a similar business.

The convict, in his defence through his counsel, S. Aliu, denied the allegations levelled against him. He told the court that the two hearts found in his possession were pigs’ hearts and bones he bought.

According to him “they swelled like human heart when I soaked them in the water”.

After reading the facts of the matter, the Chief Magistrate, F.J Ajiboye, in his verdict, found him guilty of the charges against him.

Ajiboye then sentenced the convict to one calendar year in imprisonment in the Olokuta correctional facility, for the first count and two calendar years for the second charge, without an option of fine.

Thr Magistrate said that “He is to serve the term as a deterrent to others of his kind that humiliate the dead.”