Ekiti police arrest 5 over alleged assault and public humiliation of woman accused of witchcraft

The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested five persons over alleged conspiracy, cyberstalking, cyberbullying and assault occasioning harm against a woman in Agbado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The spokesperson for the command, SP Abutu Sunday, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

According to the statement, the arrests followed a petition received by the command on September 22, 2026, from Funmilayo Omoyajowo, a resident of Ishorun Street, Agbado-Ekiti.

The petitioner alleged that the incident occurred on June 20, 2026, at about 8 a.m., when the suspects, alongside other individuals still at large, invaded her residence and physically assaulted her, inflicting injuries on her.

She alleged that the suspects accused her of witchcraft and falsely linked her to the passing of one Mr Abayo, a resident of Agbado-Ekiti.

According to the statement, the victim was subjected to forced nudity and degrading treatment in an open space. The perpetrators recorded the assault and circulated the footage on social media to humiliate and defame her.

Acting on the petition, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) arrested five suspects identified as Tafa Adesanmi, 60; Fatoba Sola, 65; Hassan Yahaya, 43; Bodunde Adebayo, 32; and Titilayo Toyin, 47. All five suspects are residents of Agbado-Ekiti.

The police said the suspects were undergoing investigation, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend other individuals allegedly involved in the incident who remained at large.

The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Falade Micheal, condemned the alleged acts, stressing that the command would not tolerate jungle justice, mob violence or the unlawful circulation of content intended to degrade, intimidate or violate the dignity of any individual.

He emphasised that allegations of witchcraft or any other offence did not justify assault, public humiliation or any form of inhuman or degrading treatment.

The commissioner warned members of the public against taking the law into their own hands and urged them to report suspected criminal activities to the appropriate authorities.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting the lives, dignity and fundamental rights of residents of the state, assuring that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law.

The police added that the case remained under investigation and that the suspects would be prosecuted in accordance with the law upon the conclusion of the investigation.