The Niger State Police Command has nabbed four men accused of offering their biological children for sacrifice in exchange for wealth through money rituals in Minna.
According to a report by conflict reporter and counterinsurgency expert Zagazola Makama, the suspects were arrested alongside a 40-year-old native doctor, Shehu Abubakar, during a police operation at an isolated compound in the Garima area of Bosso, Minna.
The suspects were identified as Ibrahim Mohammed Hamisu, 43; Abubakar Abdullahi, 40; Aliyu Sule, 25; and Mohammed Idris Dogara, 57. 
They were arrested on October 27, 2026, at about 8:30 p.m. after operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit received intelligence about suspected ritual activities at the location.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed the arrests in a crime bulletin issued on Thursday, November 5, 2026. He said operatives immediately moved to the compound following the intelligence report and arrested the five suspects while the alleged ritual preparations were underway.
Items recovered at the scene included blood-stained red and white clothing, four calabashes, two live chickens, three slaughtered chickens, a blood-stained knife and a large mat on which the items had been arranged.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the four men had approached the native doctor to perform money rituals using a human skeleton allegedly discovered during mining activities. However, the native doctor initially declined their request, claiming that he did not provide such services.
The suspects allegedly persisted and offered their biological children as human sacrifices in exchange for different sums of money. Police said the native doctor subsequently instructed each of them to purchase a chicken and report to a designated location for the ritual.
Operatives reportedly interrupted the activity while the suspects were carrying out the preparations. One of the suspects, Aliyu Sule, was allegedly found holding a blood-stained knife and preparing to slaughter his chicken, while three others had already slaughtered theirs.
The police said the suspects confessed during interrogation and are currently undergoing further investigation ahead of their prosecution in court.
The command condemned ritual-related crimes and other violent offences, reaffirming its commitment to protecting residents and maintaining public safety across Niger State.
Abiodun urged residents to remain vigilant and provide security agencies with credible information about suspicious activities in their communities to help prevent criminal activities.
