The Borno State command of the Nigerian Police Force said it arrested a nine-man gang of serial ritualists known as “Karangiya.
The ritualists were said to be specialised in dismembering the body parts of their victims.
The Commissioner of Police in the State, Abdu Umar, who disclosed this to reporters on Friday, said they were arrested on December 16, 2022, by men of the command.
Umar stated that the suspects murdered unknown persons and dismembered their remains, noting that the last incident recorded involved the removal of a victim’s eyes around the Post Office area of the state.
“There was another case where a woman was killed and thrown into the river and her body parts were removed,” he said.
He explained that after visiting the scene, detectives embarked on an intelligence investigation to find those behind the dastardly act.
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He said, “On Dec. 16, 2022, at about 1945hrs, one Mohammed Bukar, 18-year-old, from Shuwari area in Maiduguri, went and reported at Jere Division that he was on his way to collect his GSM phone from charging together with his friend.
“He said that they sighted a group of youths who called themselves members of ‘KARANGIYA GROUP’, armed with sticks and cutlasses coming towards their direction.
“On reaching them, the members of the group started beating Mr Bukar while his friend took to his heels and ran for his life.
“It was in the process that one of the armed members, Ali Bukar, used a long knife and attempted to cut the head of the victim, but the victim used his left hand to shield his head.
“Again, the suspects lifted the cutlass and cut off the hand of the victim and ran away, leaving him in a pool of blood,” he said.
The commissioner said that the police swiftly stormed the scene and arrested the principal suspect, Ali Bukar and eight others.
Umar said the suspects would be charged in court after the investigation was concluded.
