The Ibadan forest of horror, popularly known as Soka, is a ritual killer's den discovered in Soka forest in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, southwestern Nigeria. The forest of horror was unintentionally discovered on March 22, 2014 by a commercial motorcyclist in the area. Over twenty decomposed human bodies and hundreds of human skulls were found dispersed throughout the forest, and over twenty people were rescued from the forest. Governor of Oyo State Abiola Ajimobi visited the forest after it was unveiled. A building with several items, including children's and adult clothing, mats and other household items, was found in the forest. The inhumane activities that occurred in the forest is believed to be coordinated by unknown kidnappers and ritualists in the state who are often patronized by some affluent Nigerians and politicians who use human flesh for rituals.
Reactions
The discovery of the horror forest generated controversy throughout Nigeria. It raises some question on the security of the state and the need to strengthen it. There was a concern on the link between the management (kidnappers and ritualist) of the horror forest and some top government officials and notable politicians in the state but there seems to be no clear evidence to establish that fact. There was a claim by the youth in the area that the Oyo State Police command refused to investigate the forest despite several kidnapping cases reported in the state. Some of the survivors rescued from the den claimed that the ritualist kidnapped victims by claiming to be the officials of the urban renewal initiative coordinated by the Oyo State government.