The Niger State Police Command has arrested five men, including four fathers, over allegations that they offered their biological children as sacrifices in a suspected money ritual intended to bring them wealth.
The suspects were reportedly arrested on October 27, 2026, at an isolated compound in the Garima area of Bosso, Minna, after police operatives disrupted an alleged ritual gathering.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, identified the suspects as Mohammed Idris Dogara, 57; Aliyu Sule, 25; Abubakar Abdullahi, 40; Ibrahim Mohammed Hamisu, 43; and Shehu Abubakar, 40, who was described as a native doctor.
According to the police, preliminary investigations indicated that the four fathers had approached the native doctor to arrange a money ritual using a human skeleton allegedly discovered during mining activities.
The native doctor reportedly turned down their initial request but later agreed after the men allegedly insisted and offered their children in exchange for different amounts of money.
Police said the native doctor subsequently instructed the men to purchase chickens and meet at a particular location to carry out the planned ritual.
However, officers reportedly arrested the suspects while the alleged activities were taking place.
Items recovered from the scene included blood-stained clothing, four calabashes, two live chickens, three slaughtered chickens, a knife with bloodstains and a large mat.
The police command said the suspects had confessed to the allegations and were being subjected to further investigation ahead of their possible prosecution.
However, the authorities did not provide details about the children allegedly offered for the ritual, including their identities, current whereabouts or whether any of them had suffered harm.
The investigation is expected to establish the full circumstances surrounding the allegations and determine whether any children were directly exposed to danger.
