A suspected ritualist on Saturday murdered a 55-year- old food hawker, Latifat Oyebode, in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

It was gathered that the food seller, who lived around L. A Primary School Street, Alapata area of Modakeke, was lured by the yet-to-be-identified ritualist to a house at Ogbingbin area, Remo of Ile-Ife on the pretence that he wanted to buy food.

“The house where Iya Elekuru was killed was rented by a herbalist. The woman was lured inside the house and was killed,” a source in the area said.

“The herbalist cut her head and two hands. When the people around noticed that she was not coming out, they forced their way inside the house. The herbalist fled with the head and two hands of Iya Elekuru.

“We saw the remains of the food seller on the floor in the pool of blood. This angered the youths and they started to destroy the house. The security operatives have carried the corpse of the woman away.”

The spokesperson of Osun Police Command, Yemisi Opalola confirmed the incident.

She explained: “The woman hawking food was lured inside a house and was killed. The killer cut her head and hand. The suspect fled with the mutilated parts.

“Our men evacuated the body of the woman. The son of the victim has claimed the corpse and buried her according to Islamic rites.

“Irate youths have razed the building where the woman was killed. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspect.”