The Zamfara Police Command has arrested a 57-year-old ritual suspect, Aminu Baba, who allegedly eats and deals in human parts.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Ayuba Elkanah, made the disclosure at a news conference on Thursday in Gusau.

Elkanah said that Baba, a car dealer, with 19 children from three wives, had confessed to the crime.

He said that the suspect was assisting the command in its investigation to apprehend other members of his gang.

He said, “On Dec. 12, 2021, at about 1400hrs, one Ali Yakubu Aliyu reported at the Central Police Station, Gusau that his nine-year-old son, Ahmad Yakubu, was missing.

“On receiving the report, police detectives swung into action and commenced a discreet investigation into the matter.”

Elkanah said the command received an intelligence report on December 18, 202, that a corpse was lying in an uncompleted building at Barakallahu area, Gusau, with two hands and legs tied with rag and head covered with a cellophane bag.

“Detectives proceeded to the scene and found the corpse with some of the body parts missing.

“The corpse was later evacuated to the hospital for autopsy,” he said.

The police commissioner said that the detectives later arrested the suspects in connection with the case on Jan. 4.

He said the second suspect, Mr Abdulshakur Muhammed, confessed that it was the third time he was being contracted by Baba to source for human parts for him.

Elkanah said that Baba usually paid N500,000 each time human parts were provided for him.

He, however, said that luck ran out on the suspects during their third adventure when Muhammed was arrested.

The police chief said that Muhammed told the police that he connived with the third and fourth suspects, Abdullahi Baba and Ahmad Tukur, to lure the boy to an uncompleted building, where they killed him.

“They, thereafter, removed his intestine, oesophagus, penis and eyes and took them to Baba, who in turn gave them N500,000 as agreed,” he said.

According to Elkanah, Baba, with his 19 children, confessed to the crime and his revelations are assisting the police investigation.

“He further confessed that he usually eats the human parts and identified throat as the most delicious.

“He also sells some of the parts,” he said.

The police commissioner also paraded four other suspects, including a Nigerien woman arrested for alleged conspiracy and theft of a two-year-old baby from her co-wife.

He said the Nigerien woman would be deported to the Niger Republic to face prosecution, while the other suspects would be arraigned at the end of the investigations.

Elkanah appealed to the public to continue to support and pray for security agencies in appreciation for their selfless efforts in combating crime and criminality in the state.

(NAN)