A middle-aged man has been arrested in Ganji village of Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa by the state Police Command, for allegedly beheading his five-year-old son.
Also arrested along with the suspect, was a village head, alleged to have requested for a human head at a fee of one million naira.
Adamawa State Police Command’s spokesman, DSP Muhammed Ibrahim, while parading the suspects before newsmen in Yola, said the killing occurred on July 24, in Ganji village.
Alti Alhaji, father of the first suspect, according to the police, reported the case to the Gombi Police Divisional Headquarters that the suspect took his son (Alhaji’s grandson), to a bush but did not return with the boy.
DSP Ibrahim said when Alhaji asked the suspect where he left his grandson, he replied that the deceased was on his way home.
“After a while, the grandfather and some members of the family went to the bush to find out what exactly happened.
“It was after searching the nearby bush that they discovered the dead body of the boy, which had been beheaded and dumped in the bush,” Ibrahim said, adding that the suspect confessed that he committed the crime after his arrest.
“When interrogated, he confessed and pointed at a village head as the one who directed him to bring a fresh human head, at a cost of one million naira,” Ibrahim further revealed.
The two suspects are now under police custody for further investigation.
The first suspect told journalists that the district head of a village directed him to bring a fresh human skull, and promised to give him one million naira if he delivered.
When asked why he chose to sacrifice his biological son, he replied that when the village head gave him the order, he lost his mind.
The 63-year-old village head however denied the allegation, insisting that he had no business with the first suspect, whom he said, was not his ‘age mate’.
“I didn’t direct him (first suspect) to commit such ugly act. In fact, I was shocked when he pointed at me, that I directed him to commit the crime,’’ he said.
