Money Ritual: 5 Men Bag 12 Years Imprisonment for Exhuming Human Skull

• Five notorious ritualists have been arrested and convicted in the northcentral part of Nigeria
• These individuals were reportedly caught with a human skull exhumed from a burial ground of a body laid to rest three days before
• It was gathered that the incident transpired in September, and the native doctor who was supposed to receive delivery of the skull to proceed with the ritual was freed by the court

Minna, Niger - A court in Minna, Niger State, has sentenced five men to 12 years in prison for their involvement in exhuming human skulls.

It was gathered that they had intended to deliver the skull to a traditional healer who claimed it was necessary for rituals promising wealth.

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The men confessed to their actions after being apprehended with the skull.

According to the prosecutor, they had unearthed a body buried three years earlier in a Muslim cemetery in the north-central Niger state.

As reported by BBC, the prosecutor said:

"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 individuals, aged between 18 and 28, were arrested by security officers in early September while transporting the remains to a third party, following the instructions of the traditional healer.

The court found them guilty of criminal conspiracy, trespassing on burial grounds, and unlawfully possessing a human skull. Notably, the traditional healer was not arrested or charged.

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Statistics of ritual killings in Nigeria

The belief in "juju," also known as voodoo or magic, is relatively widespread in Nigeria, often combined with Christianity or Islam, as per a 2010 report by the Pew Research Centre.

These beliefs have recently led to a disturbing trend of heinous murders in Nigeria, with victims often considered vulnerable, including children, single women, and people with disabilities.

Authorities have also reported the sale and use of body parts in rituals believed to bring prosperity.

As indicated by World Bank data, the rise in money-making rituals in Nigeria is partly driven by increasing economic desperation in a country where a significant portion of the population lives in poverty.

Ogun: How police arrested pastor, 3 others in possession of human skull

Elsewhere, a tip-off gotten by the police command in Ogun State has led to the arrest of four suspects caught with a human skull.

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It was gathered that one of the suspects is a pastor of Christ Liberty Evangelism Church in the Ota area of the state.

The police confirmed that all four suspects have confessed to the allegations of ritual level against them.

Source: Legit.ng