The Gombe police authorities have detained a father simply known as Gimba and seven others for orchestrating the kidnapping and murder of six-year-old Muhammad Ibrahim in Bura-Bunga village, within Bojude District of Kwami Local Government Area of the state.
The suspects admitted to killing Ibrahim for ritualistic purposes, claiming the act was meant to bring them wealth.
According to a statement released on Friday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, the suspects plotted and carried out the abduction and killing of the young boy, and later dismembered his body to extract parts for use in money rituals.
“This horrifying case involves eight suspects who confessed to kidnapping and killing a six-year-old for the purpose of making money through ritual means,” he stated.
The child was first declared missing in mid-February by his grandfather, Ibrahim Bulama, who noticed he had not come home but it wasn’t until April 18 that the matter was formally reported to police in Bojude.
Following the report, two individuals were initially arrested and transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad for probing with further investigations leading to the capture of six more suspects, unraveling the harrowing details of the crime.
One of the suspects, 45-year-old Magaji Adamu, confessed to receiving the child from 18-year-old Babayo Musa and admitted to killing him in a bush near Wuro-Doya.
He said he then split the body into two, discarding the upper half in a well and handing over the lower part to two other accomplices; Jibrin Muhammad, also known as Ya’Haji, and Usman Abubakar.
Babayo Musa confirmed that he kidnapped the boy from his grandfather’s residence around 5:30 p.m. and participated in the killing.
Jibrin and Usman, both arrested in Gombe city, reportedly confessed to taking possession of the lower half of the body from Magaji and another suspect identified as Gimba (the boy’s biological father), who is currently at large.
Police investigators also discovered that Sadam Umaru allegedly facilitated contact with native doctors for the ritual. Traditional healers Idris Dayyabu and Abdulrauf Hussaini were said to have requested human parts, admitting to taking the child’s remains, removing the flesh, and burying what was left.
Another individual, Isiyaku Muhammad, was arrested for criminal conspiracy after police determined he knew about the crime but failed to report it.
The police have identified Gimba, believed to be the boy’s biological father and the main orchestrator of the ritual killing, as the prime suspect and still on the run.
Gombe State Commissioner of Police, CP Bello Yahaya, strongly condemned the act, assuring the public that everyone involved would be brought to justice.
“This heinous crime will be thoroughly investigated, and we will pursue all those responsible without rest,” the Commissioner said, urging residents to remain alert and report suspicious behaviour to authorities. “Community vigilance and prompt reporting can prevent such
