Foodseller Uses Human Blood To Cook

A mild drama occurred in Benin City when life was almost snuffed out of a middle aged  woman called ‘Nkem’ by an angry mob who heard when the woman openly confessed that she  uses the blood of human beings to prepare food for the general public.

People, both low and high, patronise her restaurants along Ohovbe Road and Ebekade  Street by Agbor Park.

She confessed that she was a witch, adding that she carries out her inhuman act in the  coven.

The woman is said to be the mother of a pastor (name withheld) of a Pentecostal church  located along Ebekade Street, Ohovbe quarters Benin City.

She stated that the blood of her victims normally gives her meals the right seasoning and  sumptuous taste, stressing that the taste attracts her customers.

She disclosed that she was involved in the act so as to have an edge over her competitors  in the area.

According to an eye witness, the woman would have been beaten to death but for the  intervention of her pastor son, members of his church who came to plead on her behalf and  the timely arrival of the police who took her into their custody.

When P.M.NEWS called the Edo State Police Command, Acting Police PRO, ASP Awraha Ejiroro,  this morning, he said he had not been briefed about the incident.

He promised to get in touch with the DPO in charge of Ipoba Hill Division since the  incident happened within his jurisdiction.

Speaking on the issue, a medical practitioner, Dr. Rotimi Adesanya said that it is not  possible to use human blood to cook food because it will definitely clot.

“Immediately blood comes out of a person even an animal and it gets exposed to the air it  will clot. And cooking with that exposes the person because it will be visible.”

Adesanya said that even the blood that is being transfused into the body through blood  transfusion is treated with some chemicals so that it will not clot in the process.

When asked to comment on the spiritual angle to the issue, he said: “I am a medical  practitioner, I don’t know anything about the spiritual world. I talk medicine.”

A psychologist at the University of Ibadan (UI), Dr Kayode Onaolapo Taiwo has stated that  it is a perception of the Yoruba people that successful food sellers and tradesmen are  into occult using different charms to attract people to their chops.

Dr. Taiwo also said that big men of God in the Christian and Muslim world also use charm  to attract people to their churches or mosques for financial reason.

According to him, the perception is not an empty one as it has been seen over time adding  that it is even exhibited in the Nigerian movies basically from the West and Eastern part  of Nigeria.

The scholar explained that a recent study carried out among the tradesmen like  carpenters, mechanists, vulcanizers, etc revealed that most traders and artisans relied  on either charms or godfather to succeed in their chosen career.

“They told us that there is a need for one to have ‘Babalawo’ or godfather that will  assist them to succeed”.

Dr. Taiwo noted that they had to embark on this satanic mission because of rivalry,  stressing that they are doing it to outsmart their competitors to have more customers  thereby selling more than their competitors and making more money.

He said, “It is claimed that it is possible at the spiritual level but it cannot be  logically explained.”

He explained that it is a spiritual thing that cannot be rationally explained but based  on cognition, pointing out that if it does not exist, it will not be happening.

A traditional Ifa priest, Solagbade Popoola, also dismissed the woman’s confession.

He said it was not possible for her to cook with human blood, adding that the woman must  be suffering from spiritual delusion or schizophrenia.

—Yomi Obaditan/Benin & Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan