Four Fathers Arrested in Niger for Allegedly Offering Their Children for Money Rituals
The Niger State Police Command has arrested four men accused of attempting to use their biological children for money rituals in exchange for wealth in Minna.
The suspects were reportedly arrested alongside a 40-year-old native doctor, identified as Shehu Abubakar, during a police operation at an isolated compound in the Garima area of Bosso, Minna.
According to a report by conflict reporter and counterinsurgency expert Zagazola Makama, the suspects were identified as Ibrahim Mohammed Hamisu, 43; Abubakar Abdullahi, 40; Aliyu Sule, 25; and Mohammed Idris Dogara, 57.
The five men were arrested at about 8:30 p.m. on October 27, 2026, following intelligence received by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit about suspected ritual activities at the location.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the arrests in a crime bulletin released on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Items recovered from the compound included blood-stained red and white clothes, four calabashes, two live chickens, three slaughtered chickens, a blood-stained knife and a large mat.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the four men allegedly approached the native doctor for money-making rituals using a human skeleton reportedly discovered during mining activities.
Although the native doctor initially rejected their request, claiming he did not perform such rituals, the suspects allegedly persisted and offered their biological children as human sacrifices in exchange for money.
Police said the native doctor subsequently instructed each of them to purchase a chicken and report to a designated location for the ritual.
However, operatives reportedly stormed the compound while preparations were ongoing. 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 are currently undergoing further investigation ahead of their prosecution.
The command condemned ritual-related crimes and urged residents to report suspicious activities to security agencies to help prevent criminal activities across the state.
