Muslim Cleric Kills 62-Year Old Woman, Corpse Missing

The police in Lagos have arrested a cleric, Mr. Isiaka
Akanbi, for allegedly killing a 62-year-old woman, Raliatu Kareem.The police also accused Akanbi of stealing the deceased’s
wallet and other personal effects.

Akanbi, popularly called Alfa, had a traditional
healing centre on Lawani Street, in the Olodi Apapa area of Lagos. Punch Metro correspondent learnt that Kareem, who hails from
Ilorin, Kwara State, had known Akanbi for about 20 years as she was a close
customer of his.

It was gathered that on Saturday, October 25, Kareem, who
lived on Ope-Ewe Street, Agbado Ijaiye, Lagos, went to visit an elder sister,
Risikatu Raheem, whose daughter put to bed in the Olodi Apapa area.

She was said to have left Ijaiye after the monthly
environmental exercise was over, informing her 20-year-old son, Abdullahi, of
the visit to her sister.

Kareem reportedly stayed till around 6pm at her sister’s
place on Salubi Street before she headed for theAlfa’s place.

Our correspondent learnt that two days after, Kareem did not
return home as she promised. The family became apprehensive and went on her
trail to the Olodi Apapa area.

After failing to locate Kareem at the sister’s apartment,
some family members, who knew she was a friend of the cleric, decided to check
the Alfa’s place.

On getting to Akanbi’s centre, PUNCH Metro learnt
that the Alfa denied setting eyes on Kareem.

However, the family became suspicious when Akanbi reportedly
started packing his property, and preparing to flee the house some hours later.

The family was said to have raised the alarm and headed for
the Tolu Police Station to report the incident. The police later came to arrest
Akanbi.

During interrogation, 55-year-old Akanbi told the police
that he did not kill the woman, adding that she died in his place. Akanbi added
that when he realised the woman was dead, he buried her personal effects to
erase any trace of her in his house.

He also told the police that he took the corpse to Marine
Bridge, abandoning it there.

He said, “On the evening of October 26, it is true that she
visited me. We have been very good friends too. On that day, she just collapsed
and became unconscious. I quickly rushed her to a nearby hospital, but I was
shocked when the nurses told me she had died.

“I got a NAPEP tricycle and took her corpse to the Marine
Bridge that same night and abandoned it there. I did not want people to trace
her corpse to me. When I got home, I buried her wallet, handset, bangle and
ring behind my house.

“I did not kill her. I am an Alfa, I do favour
charms for traders. I met Raliatu in 1986. Since then, we have been family
friends. She used to come to my place for consultation and I had been to her
house too.”

One of Kareem’s children, Abdullahi, said the family wanted
Akanbi to produce the corpse of their mother so that they could bury her
appropriately.

He said, “I have seen the man in our house a number of
times. But he said she died in his house and he now took her corpse to Marina
Bridge and abandoned it. We want him to produce that corpse so that we can bury
her appropriately.”

The family said Akanbi might have dumped Kareem’s corpse in
the lagoon as they could not find it on the Marine Bridge where Akanbi claimed
he had dropped it. After contacting all relevant agencies in the state, the
family said the corpse had yet to be found.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth
Nwosu, confirmed the case.

He said, “The case has been transferred to the State
Criminal Investigations Department, Yaba, for further investigation.”