Police arrest five in Niger state over ‘money ritual’
The Niger state police command says it has arrested four persons for allegedly offering their biological children for sacrifice in a desperate attempt to acquire wealth.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication, Wasiu Abiodun, public relations officer of the Niger police command, detailed the arrest in a bulletin.
Makama said police arrested Ibrahim Mohammed Hamisu, 43; Abubakar Abdullahi, 40; Aliyu Sule, 25; and Mohammed Idris Dogara, 57, along with Shehu Abubakar, a 40-year-old native doctor, at an isolated compound in the Garima area of Bosso in Minna.
It said the suspects were arrested on October 27 at about 8:30pm after operatives attached to the anti-kidnapping unit received credible intelligence about suspicious activities believed to be connected with ritual practices at the location.
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Makama said the police immediately mobilised to the scene, where they arrested the five suspects and recovered several items, including blood-stained red and white clothing, four calabashes, two live chickens, three slaughtered chickens, a blood-stained knife and a large mat on which the items were arranged.
It said preliminary investigation revealed that the four suspects had approached the native doctor to perform money rituals for them using a human skeleton allegedly discovered during mining activities.
Makama said the native doctor declined their request, explaining that he did not offer such services.
It said the four suspects, however, allegedly persisted and offered their biological children as sacrifices in exchange for different sums of money.
Makama said following their insistence, the native doctor allegedly instructed each of them to buy a chicken and assemble at a designated location where the ritual would be performed.
It said the operation was reportedly carried out while the suspects were executing the planned ritual.
The publication said Aliyu Sule, one of the suspects, was allegedly caught holding a blood-stained knife and preparing to slaughter his chicken, while three others had already slaughtered theirs.
Makama said the suspects confessed during interrogation and were being subjected to further investigation before being charged to court.
TheCable
