A landlord and his gateman have been arrested by the Niger State Police Command for their suspected involvement in the ritual death of a 4-year-old kid, Hassan Ibrahim, in the state's Lapai Local Government Area.
DSP Abiodun Wasiu, the command's spokesperson, confirmed the situation on Saturday in Minna, saying that an inquiry into the incident had begun and warning people against jungle justice.
The suspects were reportedly saved from being lynched by a crowd when the boy's remains were allegedly discovered four days after he was reported missing, according to NAN.
According to a local resident who did not want to be recognised, the landlord, identified as Emmanuel, a well-known building materials vendor, conspired with his gateman to kidnap the youngster.
The two suspects allegedly killed the youngster and removed his critical organs, including his eyes, ears, private part, and heart, before placing his remains in a sack for the gateman to dispose of, according to the resident.
"The gateman took a motorcycle to a stream to dispose of the remains, but when the biker dropped the gateman, he spotted blood flowing from the sack. Bystanders and police were alerted by the business motorcyclist, according to the resident.
The police responded by mobilising and moving to the creek, where the gateman was apprehended. He allegedly admitted to his landlord that he was sent to dispose of the body and that they were responsible for the kidnapping of the boy.
Outraged by the situation, some local youngsters set fire to the home and vehicles of the prominent dealer who supposedly hired the accused killer.
In Niger state, a landlord and a gateman were arrested for allegedly killing a 4-year-old boy for ceremonial purposes.
In Niger state, a landlord and a gateman were arrested for allegedly killing a 4-year-old boy for ceremonial purposes.
"There are nasty men in every town," claimed Abdullahi Musa, a local citizen. One of them is Emmanuel. We've set fire to his house. We would have killed him if he had been the one we received."
Another local, Maryam Kwambo, characterised the reported finding of the child's bones as the first of its kind in the neighbourhood.
"We've never faced a situation as radical and nasty as today since the formation of the Lapai local government region. We'll get to the bottom of it. We will bring the child to justice. We first learned about the missing boy four days ago, and no one could provide an explanation of his whereabouts. This situation needs to be handled properly. "We are looking for justice," she continued.