Five well-known ritualists were apprehended and found guilty in the north central region of Nigeria. These people were allegedly found in possession of a human skull that had been dug up from a cemetery belonging to a person that had been buried three days prior.
It was learned that the event occurred in September, and the court released the local physician who was scheduled to receive the skull in order to carry out the ceremony.
the Five men who were involved in the exhumation of human skulls were given a 12-year prison sentence by a court in Minna, Niger State.
It was learned that their plan was to give the skull to a traditional healer who insisted on using it for ceremonies that would bring prosperity.
After being captured with the skull, the men admitted what they had done. The prosecutor stated that they had discovered a body that had been buried in a Muslim cemetery in north-central Niger state three years prior.
According to the BBC, the prosecutor stated
They said the herbalist informed and promised all of them that they would share the wealth from the said criminal activity and directed them to look for the human skull.”
These people, who were between the ages of 18 and 28, were detained by security personnel in the first half of September while they were carrying the remains to a third party per the traditional healer’s orders. They were found guilty by the court of illegally having a human skull, trespassing on burial grounds, and criminal conspiracy. Interestingly, the conventional healer wasn’t detained or accused.
Nigerian ritual killing statistics
According to a 2010 Pew Research Center survey, “juju,” often known as voodoo or magic, is a fairly common belief in Nigeria and is frequently coupled with Islam or Christianity.
These ideas have recently given rise to a horrifying trend of horrific killings in Nigeria, where the victims who are frequently thought to be vulnerable include children, unmarried women, and those with impairments.
Authorities have also revealed that body parts are sold and used in ceremonies thought to bring wealth.
According to World Bank data, growing economic desperation in a nation where a sizable section of the populace lives in poverty is a contributing factor in the rise in money-making rituals in Nigeria.
One of the accused is reportedly the pastor of the Christ Liberty Evangelism Church in the state’s Ota region.
The police verified that all four of the accused had admitted to the ritual accusations made against them.
