A High Court in Gombe has sentenced five residents of the state to a combined 14 years’ imprisonment for exhuming a corpse and removing its eyes for alleged ritual purposes.
The offences, prosecutors said, which include criminal conspiracy, causing indignity to a corpse, unlawful possession of a human head, and other related offences, occurred on September 11, 2025, at the Gadam Muslim graveyard and are punishable under several sections of the Penal Code Law.
The convicted men, Mohammed Isah (also known as Chindo), Kawuni Sarki, Manu Saleh, Umar Jibrin (also known as Daddy), and Adamu Nasiru, are all residents of Gadam village in Kwami Local Government Area.
A sixth defendant, Abdullahi Umar Dauda, was also arraigned in connection with the case, with proceedings against him expected to continue alongside remaining counts for the five convicted men.
The prosecution, led by state counsel Ahmed Gombe, told the court that the defendants faced a 10-count charge, including criminal conspiracy, attempt to commit an offence, causing indignity to a corpse, unlawful entry into a graveyard, theft, destruction of public property, membership of an unlawful society, use of unlawful charms, and unlawful possession of a human head.
According to the prosecution, the men conspired to exhume the grave of Malam Manu Wanzam, removing his eyes for alleged ritual purposes. Two other suspects, Aliyu Baka and Reuben, remain at large, with one reportedly fleeing the scene with the plucked eyes.
The court also heard that the defendants had attempted to exhume another grave in the same cemetery on the same night, indicating a pattern of criminal activity linked to ritual practices.
During proceedings, the defendants pleaded guilty to some charges after the court interpreter explained the offences. The prosecution urged the court to try them summarily on the counts they admitted, citing provisions under the Gombe State Administration of Criminal Justice Law.
After reviewing the evidence, Justice Abdulsalam Mohammed convicted the five men and handed down varying prison terms. Some sentences were ordered to run consecutively, resulting in a total combined imprisonment of 14 years.
Mohammed Isah, Kawuni Sarki, and Adamu Nasiru received additional terms for theft, while Manu Saleh and Umar Jibrin were sentenced separately, reflecting their roles in the offences.
The judge noted that the sentences were based on the defendants’ guilty pleas and the seriousness of their actions, which caused indignity to the deceased and disrupted public order.
He emphasized that the punishment was intended as a deterrent, warning that unlawful acts against the dead and graveyards would be met with the full weight of the law.
The court has adjourned the case to April 16, 2026, for continuation of hearings on the remaining counts against the defendants and proceedings involving the sixth arraigned suspect.
