Five men have been sentenced to 60 years imprisonment with hard labor for the possession of a human skull in Niger State. The Chief Magistrate of a court in Tunga, Minna, Chief Magistrate Fati Umar Hassan, delivered the judgment on Monday, October 16, 2023.
The convicts, Ibrahim Jiya, Suleiman Usman, Abdullahi Usman, Idris Mohammed, and Isah Mohammed, residents of Sakpe village in Edati Local Government Area, were found guilty on a three-count charge which included criminal conspiracy, trespass on the burial ground, and unlawful possession of a human skull.
According to Police prosecutor, Inspector Mua’azu Abdullahi, the suspects were apprehended by the police in the Bida area command office after the incident was reported. The case was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for thorough investigation.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the convicts had sought the guidance of an unknown herbalist in Minna, who instructed them to obtain a human skull for a money-making ritual. In their confession, they admitted to trespassing into the Muslim cemetery in Nasarafu village, where they dug up the human skull of Late Yan Ndako Daniya, who had passed away three years ago.
The presiding Chief Magistrate, Hajiya Hassan, read the three count charges to the convicts, who all pleaded guilty. The prosecutor, Inspector Mua’azu Abdullahi, then urged the court to invoke the provision of section 157 of the criminal procedure code for a summary trial and appropriate conviction.
In her judgment, Hajiya Hassan sentenced each of the convicts to 12 years imprisonment with hard labor on the three count charges, without the option of a fine.
