‘House of Horror;’ found as group searched for friend in forest
Stumbled across in the depths of the Soka forest in Nigeria was a dilapidated building, overgrown with weeds and crumbling beneath the weight of the deadly secrets it held within.
The rotting building, dubbed the ‘house of horror’ , was discovered just over a decade ago by a group of motorcycle taxi drivers who had gone off the beaten track in search of a lost friend. But what they would find, would haunt them for a lifetime.
Buried in the middle of the thick forest in Ibadan, Oyo State, it was originally believed the run-down house was being used by a construction company. Yet 23 survivors were rescued from the building in 2014, with cops unearthing numerous body parts, decomposing bodies and personal effects of kidnapped victims.
The building was found to be a grisly hub used for human trafficking and sacrifice, coordinated by kidnappers and black magic ritualists who are often backed by affluent Nigerians and politicians who may have used flesh for rituals.
Reports from the time said that several severely malnourished people were also found aimlessly wandering in the bushes near the building, and that at least 15 other captives were found chained together in iron shackles inside.
The surrounding area was found to be strewn with human skulls, limbs, clothes, shoes, and school uniforms, believed to belong to the previous captives held in the ghastly building. Following the shocking discoveries, once investigations had concluded, the building was demolished. Locals encouraged the decision to destroy the building that had been the final place dozens of loved ones had taken their final breaths.
Now, children can be seen coming and going from the building that was erected in its place – Oyo State Comprehensive Model School. The ex-ritualist den turned secondary school opened in 2018 and sits on the expansive green land that once homed the notorious ‘house of horror’.