A man has been arrested in Adamawa State for allegedly digging up the corpse of his stepfather from a grave and cutting off the head.

The Adamawa State Police Command, which apprehended the 55-year-old hunter, Yusuf Garba, said Friday that the suspect who hails from Tappare Kona Uku in Jada LGA, had confessed to the crime to police interrogators.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje, said the suspect explained that the son of the deceased came to him and demanded the head of his late father for ritual purposes.

According to Nguroje, the suspect had narrated that when his stepfather died, the deceased’s biological son tried to take the corpse to Jalingo in Taraba State for burial, but other family members rejected the request.

The suspect added that a year after the burial of the deceased, the biological son stormed the house and asked for his head for traditional rites, mounting pressure on him (Yusuf Garba), leaving him no choice but to go for the said head.

“I took a hoe around 4:00am, went to the grave yard, digged the grave and cut off the head,” Yusuf said, adding, “I returned home and gave him (the biological son) the head in a polythene bag and the son collected it and left,” Yusuf said

He stressed that he did what he was asked out of fear because “the son is a witch and can attack me or my children if I refuse to do so”.

Yusuf further told the police that after two weeks, the wife of the deceased who the son in question inherited, came and complained to him that she had been having terrible dreams since the time the head was kept in their bedroom.

He said that he asked her to bring a chicken, which she did, and he went and dug the grave, slaughtered the chicken and poured its blood on the decomposed body to stop the dreams.

“After I performed the ritual, I went and cooked the chicken and ate it. I did that about four years ago but because I had a little problem with Benjamin, he reported the matter to the police,” Yusuf said.

Nguroje confirmed that the arrest of Yusuf was indeed a response to a complaint from Benjamin Jatau, who accused the suspect of digging up the grave and cutting the head of a man.

Nguroje said the Commissioner of Police, CP Morris Dankombo, has ordered discreet investigation and eventual prosecution of the suspects.

At least six operatives of the Special Anti-Touting Squad of Anambra State (SASA), popularly known as Ndi Aka Odo, were killed on Friday after their vehicle collided with a tipper truck fully loaded with sand in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The accident occurred along the Onitsha-Owerri expressway when the anti-tout squad’s vehicle rammed into the tipper, leaving several operatives dead on the spot, while others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

According to eyewitnesses, the crash occurred as the squad’s vehicle, a branded Toyota Hiace bus, was speeding out of a junction while conducting their daily stop-and-search operation. The bus collided with the tipper, which was coming out of another junction on the road.

One eyewitness, Peter Eze, recalled that the Toyota vehicle was carrying about eight young men at the time of the accident. “The vehicle was running at full speed before it rammed into the tipper,” he said. “Some operatives died instantly, while others were badly injured.”

The impact of the crash trapped some operatives inside their vehicle, and passers-by had to rescue their bodies from the wreckage. Over six lifeless bodies were seen on the road, while the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.

The incident, which could have elicited sympathy, instead triggered jubilation among some members of the public who are frustrated with the tactics of the anti-tout squad. There has been growing anger over the squad’s recent illegal activities and the callous behavior of some operatives, which have sparked widespread criticism.

A video circulating on social media shows the aftermath of the accident, with lifeless bodies on the road and bystanders either assisting with the rescue efforts or condemning the actions of the victims and their squad.

When contacted for comment, a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) official from Anambra State said he was driving and could not make a statement. The FRSC Public Relations Officer, Margaret Onabe, also said she was reaching out to personnel in the area to confirm details of the incident.

The State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, could not be reached for comment at the time of this report.

It is worth noting that this incident follows previous controversies surrounding the anti-tout squad. Last year, a motor park operator, known as Mgbiliba, was brutally beaten by SASA operatives, an act that sparked nationwide outrage. Despite calls for the squad’s dissolution and scrapping, the state government ignored the pleas, and the operatives’ controversial actions have continued, with many citizens expressing discontent over the squad’s growing influence and methods.

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said its operatives have raided strategic black spots in some local government areas of the state such as brothels, hotels compounds and arrested six female suspected drug dealers.

In a media briefing at the command headquarters, Ikot Akpan-Abia, Uyo, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Timfon John identified the suspects as Happiness Malachi George, Queen Sambo Umoren, Joy Chima, Inyene-Obong Patrick Michael, Rose Anietie Bassey and Sarah Iniobong Sunday,

She said the suspects have confessed to the crime and substances suspected to be Indian hemp, ice and a jackknife were recovered from them.

“The operatives of the command conducted a strategic raid. The operation targeted identified black spots, including hotels, brothels and arrested female suspected illicit drug traffickers,” the statement in parts.

The PPRO also paraded suspected burglars in the state, noting they were found with burglary tools, including cutters and pliers and upon interrogation, they confessed to the crime and provided useful information which led to the recovery of the stolen items such as smart LG TVs, 2 CCTV cameras, electric cables and other household items.

She said, “On 20th January 2025, at about 04:00hrs, based on credible information by a complainant that his apartment was burgled and valuable items were stolen. Operatives of the Command arrested two suspects, One Moses Godwin Ndiong and Abraham Godwill Eshiet, both males from Apostolic Road in Eket LGA. The suspects were found with burglary tools, including cutters and pliers. Upon interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime and provided useful information which led to the recovery of the stolen items.”

The Police Spokesperson while pledging CP Baba Mohammed Azare’s determination to rid the state of crimes and criminality, urged the public to always provide credible information to the police.