An elderly man has been arrested for allegedly commissioning an individual to abduct a child with the intent of gouging out the child’s eyes for ritual purposes.
Police officers from the Bompai Police Station in Kano State detained the man, identified as Malam Yahaya from the Utoro community, after an individual he allegedly “hypnotized” was caught attempting to steal a child. The suspect, Kabir Sani, led authorities to Yahaya’s residence, where they discovered various fetish items, including a calabash with an inscription, red and white clothing, and several charms.
Sani, 25, explained, “I live in Utoro, and I went to visit Malam because I wasn’t feeling well. He gave me some medicine mixed with water and instructed me to use my urine for three days.
“Upon my return, he gave me ‘Tulare’ perfume and Hantu. Suddenly, I felt as though my mind had shut down, and I wasn’t myself. I did whatever he asked without question.
“He promised to give me N1 million if I found a child whose eyes he could remove for a charm to make a soldier disappear.
“I went to my sister’s house and told her everything Malam Yahaya had instructed me to do. I explained that I no longer felt like myself. I tried to find an 8-month-old child who lived in our house, but I couldn’t bring the child. If I had, Malam Yahaya would have taken his eyes.”
Sani also pleaded, “I am asking people to help me beg Malam to restore my senses.”
