Police Arrest Four Suspects Over Alleged Plot to Sacrifice Biological Children for Money Rituals

The Niger State Police Command has arrested four persons for allegedly offering their biological children for sacrifice in a desperate attempt to acquire wealth through money rituals in Minna.

The suspects, identified as Ibrahim Mohammed Hamisu, 43; Abubakar Abdullahi, 40; Aliyu Sule, 25; and Mohammed Idris Dogara, 57, were arrested alongside a 40-year-old native doctor, Shehu Abubakar, during a police operation at an isolated compound in the Garima area of Bosso, Minna.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a crime bulletin issued on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

According to the police, the suspects were arrested on October 27 at about 8:30 p.m. after operatives attached to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit received credible intelligence about suspicious activities believed to be connected with ritual practices at the location.

The police said operatives immediately mobilised to the scene, where they arrested the five suspects and recovered several items, including blood-stained red and white clothing, four calabashes, two live chickens, three slaughtered chickens, a blood-stained knife and a large mat on which the items were arranged.

Preliminary investigation reportedly revealed that the four suspects had approached the native doctor to perform money rituals for them using a human skeleton allegedly discovered during mining activities.

The native doctor reportedly declined their request, explaining that he did not offer such services. However, the four suspects allegedly persisted and offered their biological children as sacrifices in exchange for different sums of money.

Police said that following their insistence, the native doctor allegedly instructed each of them to purchase a chicken and assemble at a designated location where the ritual would be performed.

The operation was reportedly carried out while the suspects were executing the planned ritual. One of the suspects, Aliyu Sule, was allegedly caught holding a blood-stained knife and preparing to slaughter his chicken, while three others had already slaughtered theirs.

The police said the suspects confessed during interrogation and were being subjected to further investigation before being charged to court.

The command condemned criminal activities and reiterated its commitment to combating ritual-related crimes, violent offences and other threats to public safety in the state.

SP Abiodun urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information to security agencies to prevent criminal activities in their communities.