5 persons jailed 60yrs in Niger over possession of human skull

A Minna Chief Magistrates Court 2 has sentenced five persons to 60 years jail for being in possession of Human Skull.

They were found guilty on three count charges of criminal conspiracy, trespass on burial ground and unlawful possession of human skull.

Police prosecutor, Inspector Mua’azu Abdullahi, had dragged the convicts before the court on the three count charges punishable under sections 97.213 and 219 of the penal code law, respectively.

The convicts are Ibrahim Jiya, Suleiman Usman, Abdullahi Usman, Idris Mohammed and Isah Mohammed all of Sakpe village in Edati Local government area of the State.

The Police prosecutor had told the court that they were arrested by the police in Bida and that after preliminary investigations, the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, SCIID, for discrete Investigation.

The Prosecutor had further told the Court that the convicts were caught with Baco bag containing human Skull and that during police Investigation, the convicts had confessed to have approached a Minna based herbalist to transform their lives by making them rich and that the herbalist had in turn directed them to bring a human skull to be used for the purpose.

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“The five convicts in return stormed the Muslim cemetery in Nasarafu village, dug a grave in the cemetery and brought out the human skull of one Late Yan Ndako Daniya who died three years ago,” the Prosecutor revealed at the Court.

When the three count charges were read to them by the presiding Chief Magistrate Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan, they all pleaded guilty to all the charges.

At this point, the prosecutor Inspector Mua’azu Abdullahi prayed the Court to invoke the provision of section 157 of the Criminal procedure code on them through summary trial and convict them accordingly.

The Chief Magistrate, Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan in her Judgment then sentenced each of them to 12 years each on the three count charges with hard labour without an option of fine.