Niger State Police Apprehend Five Suspects in Possession of Human Skull for Money Ritual Along Minna-Bida Road

The Niger State Police Command has successfully apprehended five individuals allegedly involved in the possession of a human skull for the purpose of conducting a money ritual along the Minna-Bida road within the state.

Initially, the incident involved two primary suspects, Isah Mohammed (26 years old) and Idris Mohammed (28 years old), both residents of Sakpe village in Edati Local Government Area. These individuals were discovered in possession of the human skull concealed within a bag during a routine patrol conducted by a sister security agency.

Subsequently, the two initial suspects were promptly handed over to the state Police Area Command in Bida for a more extensive investigation. During this investigative process, they disclosed crucial information regarding the involvement of three other individuals who had assisted them in the disturbing act of exhuming a corpse and extracting the head.

Confirming the incident in Minna, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), DSP Wasiu Abiodun, provided details of the encounter. He explained that the suspects were intercepted while traveling in a Mitsubishi Lancer vehicle by a sister security agency at the toll gate along Bida-Minna. This interception took place on September 11, 2023, in the afternoon, as the security personnel were conducting passenger searches.

As DSP Wasiu Abiodun recounted, “During police interrogation, the suspects claimed that they obtained the human skull from their village and were aided by three other individuals to the grave where the skull was exhumed.”

The additional suspects, whose involvement was unveiled during the investigation, have been identified as Ibrahim Jiya (18 years old), Suleiman Usman (22 years old), and Abdullahi Usman (24 years old). All three suspects share a common residence.

Further elaborating on the grim details, the police spokesman revealed, “Two of the suspects, Isah and Abdullahi, claimed to have met an individual named Alfa Suleiman from Kwara State in Bida three weeks ago. He instructed them to obtain a human skull for a money ritual and advised them to take it to someone in Minna, providing N30,000 for the purpose. The unknown recipient instructed them to call him when they reached Kpakungu, and he would meet them.”

In light of these developments, the five suspects have been promptly transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna. This transfer ensures a comprehensive investigation into the matter and the diligent prosecution of the case in accordance with the law.