The Niger State Police Command has arrested four men accused of offering their biological children for sacrifice in exchange for wealth through money rituals in Minna.
The police spokesman, Superintendent Wasi’u Abiodun, confirmed the incident and said officers arrested the suspects alongside a 40-year-old native doctor, Shehu Abubakar, during a police operation at an isolated compound in the Garima area of Bosso, Minna.
The four fathers arrested in connection with the crime were identified as Ibrahim Mohammed Hamisu, Abubakar Abdullahi, Aliyu Sule; and Mohammed Idris Dogara and are between the ages of 25 and 57.
Abiodun added that they were arrested on October 27 at about 8:30 p.m. after operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit received intelligence about suspected ritual activities at the location.
He said operatives immediately moved to the compound following the intelligence report and arrested the five suspects while the alleged ritual preparations were underway.
The police further said the suspects allegedly persisted and offered their biological children as human sacrifices in exchange for different sums of money.
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One of the suspects, Aliyu Sule, was allegedly found holding a blood-stained knife and preparing to slaughter his chickens, while three others had already slaughtered theirs.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the four men had approached the native doctor to perform money rituals using a human skeleton allegedly discovered during mining activities. However, the native doctor initially declined their request, claiming that he did not provide such services.
Items recovered at the scene included 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 had been arranged.
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(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
