One Mercy Henry, a mother of two, who was declared missing in Lagos State in December 2021, has reportedly been found dead, with her body mutilated and buried in sacks.

Mercy was reported missing on December 16, 2021 after she left her home to see a trado-medical doctor in Ijegun, a suburb in Lagos State.

The Daily Times reported that when she did not return, her family began to call all her friends and one of them named Ayo, who resides in Port Harcourt, informed them that on that same day, Mercy called her asking for a N30, 000 loan. According to Ayo, Mercy told her she was ill and needed the money.

Ayo told the family the money left her account by 1.59pm on the same day and that by 2.02pm, Mercy’s phone was turned off and had remained switched off.

With her information, the police traced the account she sent the money to one Mayowa who happened to be Mercy’s Trado-medical doctor. Mercy had given birth to one of her daughters with the assistance of Mayowa.

The body of the 35-year-old woman was therefore found, mutilated and buried in different sacks behind a building belonging to the prime suspect, Mr. Mayowa Timothy Bamidele, who has, according to earlier reports, repeatedly denied seeing Mercy in the last four years.

According to Daily Times, “the deceased’s grieving father, Pa Henry Ekienabor, 70, choking on emotion, said: “It’s rather unfortunate that my daughter was killed, mutilated and buried at the back of Mayowa’s house. She was killed on the same December 16th, 2021 that she left home.

“Police called my son on January 14th, 2022, to tell us the development. I was hoping and praying that maybe they had been able to track and locate where her captors kept her. The Police told us that she was murdered in cold blood, mutilated and then buried. After mutilating her corpse, she was then packed into five sacks and buried at the back of Mayowa’s house. Police have gone to the scene to exhume her remains.”

Pa Ekienabor added: “The breakthrough in the case was said to have started after the Police arrested four people alongside Mayowa. During interrogation, the detectives appealed to the four suspects that anyone who gives them useful information wouldn’t be punished. One of the four men raised his hand and then volunteered information to the police. Police went there, searched the house and zeroed in on the spot where Mercy was buried.

“Police recovered her handbag, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card and her phone. These items were hidden in one of the uncompleted houses inside the blocks there. Till tomorrow, Mayowa is still denying knowing anything about the matter, but when the police brought him out of the cell after interrogating the other four suspects; he saw them and almost collapsed. Yes, he knows them. They are working together, so he couldn’t deny it.”

Pa Ekienabor, who opined that Mayowa probably killed Mercy for money ritual purposes, added: “All the men of God, women of God, pastors, Bishops, I went to, all assured me Mercy was being kept somewhere, that we should pray, that she would come out. We didn’t know that she had been killed and buried for long. Yes, she was killed three minutes after her friend, Ayo, transferred N30, 000 into Mayowa’s First Bank Account.”

The Daily Times also reported that the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Adekunle Ajisebutu, who earlier confirmed the disappearance of Mercy and arrest of Mayowa, while speaking with the news medium’s reporter on the latest development, said: “It’s true some suspects have been arrested and exhibits recovered. We will make a comprehensive press statement soon.”