Police in Gombe State have arrested three men suspected of engaging in ritual activities by attempting to exhume body parts from a fresh grave, following a tip-off from a vigilant resident who witnessed the suspicious act at a local cemetery in a rural area.
The suspects, Umar Ibrahim, 30, his father Ibrahim Usman, 60, and Alhaji Bappa Abdu, 35, all from the Barwo Winde Distric, were apprehended after Umar was caught in the act of digging, leading to confessions during interrogation that revealed a pattern of grave desecration for ritual purposes.
The incident occurred at the Barwo Sabon Gari Grave Yard in Nafada Local Government Area of Gombe State, because the suspects allegedly intended to remove body parts from a deceased person for money rituals, with Umar admitting he was sent by his father and had previously exhumed a human toe from the same graveyard in 2025 to deliver to one of the co-suspects.
According to police sources cited by security analyst Zagazola Makama on Thursday, Umar Ibrahim reportedly confessed during questioning that he was dispatched by his father, Ibrahim Usman, to extract the parts specifically for ritual use, highlighting the ongoing challenge of such superstitious practices in parts of northern Nigeria.
The arrests underscore authorities’ efforts to curb grave tampering and ritual-related crimes, with the suspects now in custody facing charges related to desecration and conspiracy as investigations continue into their motives and any broader network involved in harvesting human remains for alleged occult purposes.