A 22-year-old man, Mustapha Aliyu, arrested by the FCT Police Command has confessed to beheading four children in villages on the outskirts of the FCT.
Aliyu, who claimed he was recruited by one Mallam Yahaya to procure the heads, said he had successfully beheaded two boys and two girls before the law caught up with him.
Parading the suspect, alongside 50 others for armed robbery, one chance, rape, drug peddling, and receiving stolen goods, the Commissioner of Police in charge of FCT, CP Bala Ciroma, said the arrests were in furtherance of the command’s commitment to protect lives and property and combat crime in the FCT.
According to him, “On May 19, 2019, at about 14:30hrs following a distress call police operatives arrested one Mustapha Aliyu, 22, in possession of a freshly severed head of a three-year-old boy, who was later identified as Usman Awalu of Rugan Fulani close to Leleyi Village in Kwali Area Council.
“The suspect confessed that prior to his arrest; he had beheaded four children and gave their heads to his master, who is now at large. According to him, he was paid N170,000 for every male victim and N160,000 for every female victim. “He said his victims were taken from Sheda, Kwali, Kilankwa, Gwako, and Leleyi villages. Effort is being intensified to arrest his master.”
He said Victor Achianu, a 33-year-old tricycle (keke) operator, was arrested on May 7, for raping his passenger at Gidan Mangoro, Orozo.
“The suspect took his victim from Jikwoyi en-route Gidan Daya in Orozo but diverted and forcefully raped her. He, however, abandoned his tricycle and fled the scene when the lady raised an alarm that attracted some passers-by.
“Oblivious of the fact that his victim had reported to the police, the suspect approached the same police station claiming some hoodlums attacked and snatched his tricycle. He was arrested and identified by his victim.”
The police boss disclosed that guns, ammunitions, television sets, handsets, 32 bags of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, bottles of codeine syrup, tramadol and other illicit substances were recovered from the suspects.
Fielding questions from journalists, the suspected ritualists said, “I was stranded so I approached Mallam Yahaya. He offered me plate of rice and can malt. After eating the food, I could no longer speak.
“I walked back to my area with a substance he gave to me. He told me that if I touch any child with it, he will not make sound. While I was walking, I saw a boy and I did as the Mallam instructed. I touched the boy and he didn’t make sound.
“I later beheaded him and got N170,000 as payment. I have so far beheaded four children. I was on a missi
