The Adamawa State Police Command has apprehended a 55-year-old hunter, Yusuf Garba, for allegedly digging up the grave of his stepfather and cutting off his head for ritual purposes. The chilling incident occurred in Tappare Kona Uku, Jada Local Government Area, where Garba confessed to the crime during police interrogation.
According to SP Suleiman Nguroje, the Police Public Relations Officer, Garba claimed he was pressured by the deceased’s biological son, who allegedly demanded his father’s skull for a ritual.
“The son wanted to take the corpse to Jalingo for burial, but the family refused. A year after the burial, he came back and insisted on having his father’s head. Out of fear, I dug up the grave around 4:00 am, severed the head, and handed it to him in a polythene bag,” Garba reportedly told investigators.
The suspect further revealed that two weeks later, the deceased’s widow—who had been inherited by the son—complained of disturbing dreams, prompting him to slaughter a chicken and pour its blood on the decomposed body as a ritual to stop the nightmares.
“After performing the ritual, I cooked and ate the chicken,” he admitted, adding that the incident happened four years ago but only came to light after he had a dispute with Benjamin Jatau, who later reported the matter to the police.
The Adamawa State Commissioner of Police, CP Morris Dankombo, has ordered a full-scale investigation, with both Garba and the deceased’s son facing possible prosecution.
