By YAHAYA ISAH

The Police Command in Niger State has arrested suspected ritualists with a human skull in Bida town.

This is contained in a statement on Saturday in Minna by its Public Relations officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun.

According to him, on July 19, while acting on credible intelligence, Police covert operatives arrested five suspects in a hotel in Bida with a human skull for money rituals.

He said that In the course of investigation, it was discovered that the skull belonged to one Ahmadu Jiya, who claimed it was the skull of his maternal grandmother aged over 90 years as at the time of her demise.

Jiya explained that he exhumed the corpse and obtained the skull to make quick money to enable him settle debts of over N2 million he had accrued over time.

He added that one Ndache, a herbalist, instructed him to obtain a human head, dead or alive before he could help him make money and that he presented the skull to the herbalist in the company of his friend, Muhammed Adamu.

“But unfortunately, upon hearing the terms of the ritual, he decided that he couldn’t comply with the terms and returned to his village with the skull and hid it in his residence.

“After two years, his friend Adamu who earlier accompanied him to the herbalist, approached Jiya in company of another individual, one Abubakar Mohammed, that they needed the skull urgently and were ready to buy the skull.

“Jiya agreed to sell for N100,000 but he was given N40,000 as advance payment, and he gave them the skull.

“Both individuals then proceeded to Ndache who introduced him to another herbalist, Malam Ali Mohammed who was described as a suspected money-doubler.

“Muhammed charged them N500,000 to do the rituals for them which they paid in installments when he was done with the process involving a drum, the skull and other processes.”

The suspected money-doubler then instructed them not to open the drum until he asked them to do so after while he left.

“But unfortunately, after a few weeks with no response from the herbalist, both Adamu and Abubakar proceeded to his residence to complain and inquire as to why they had not heard from him or seen their money.

“On arrival, they told Muhammed to refund their money so that they can sort out other family issues, since there was no result. He then convinced them to go to a hotel in Bida with him where they would receive their money.

“Ndache was also invited since he was the link between the herbalist and the two individuals. But unfortunately, they were all arrested and brought to the State CID Minna for discreet investigation,” the statement added. (NAN)