The Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has apprehended a suspected ritualist, Samuel Adebisi Adewunmi, popularly known as 'Ifa Science', for allegedly cutting a body part from a two-month-old baby's head for ritual purposes.

According to a statement released by the command's Public Relations Officer, Dyke Ogbonnaya, on Monday, the suspect was arrested following a tip-off from the victim's father, who discovered the injury on his baby.

"On May 1, 2025, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ogun State Command Headquarters, Abeokuta, arrested one suspected ritualist by the name Samuel Adebisi Adewunmi (aka Ifa Science) for inflicting grievous bodily harm on a two-month-old baby," Ogbonnaya stated.

The report revealed that the father, identified as Kola Taiwo, a 53-year-old man, noticed a cut on the back of his baby's head and promptly alerted authorities, leading to the suspect's arrest.

Ogbonnaya confirmed that the suspect is currently undergoing investigations with the state command's intelligence and investigations department. He emphasized that the offence is punishable under the Criminal Laws of Ogun State, and the command would ensure justice is served.

The NSCDC State Commandant, Remilekun Omolade Ekundayo, used the opportunity to caution parents about their children's safety. "Parents should be very careful and critical of their children's whereabouts," she advised, while warning that anyone intending to cause bodily harm or dangerous mayhem on another person would face the full weight of the law.

This incident bears similarities to a case reported in December 2014, when a trainee herbalist, Ifagbenga Taiwo, was arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly killing his 41-day-old son for ritual purposes in the Keesi area of Adatan, Abeokuta.

In that case, the baby's mother had returned from washing clothes outside their home to find her son with a slit throat.

The NSCDC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety of citizens, particularly vulnerable children, and bringing perpetrators of such heinous crimes to justice.