By Deborah Nnamdi
Operatives of the Gombe State Police Command has arrested eight suspects in connection with the abduction and gruesome killing of a six-year-old boy, Muhammad Ibrahim Bulama, in Bura-Bunga village, Bojude District of Kwami Local Government Area.
The suspects reportedly confessed that the boy was killed for ritual purposes to “make money.”
The Command’s spokesperson, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed this in a press statement made available to newsmen on Friday.
According to him, the suspects conspired to abduct and murder the child before dismembering his body to harvest parts for money ritual.
The victim was first reported missing in mid-February by his grandfather, Ibrahim Bulama, who noticed the child had not returned home. His disappearance remained unresolved until April 18, when Bulama lodged a formal complaint at the Bojude Divisional Police Headquarters. Two suspects were initially arrested and handed over to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad for further investigation.
Acting on credible intelligence, the squad arrested six additional suspects, unravelling the details of the chilling crime.
Magaji Adamu, 45, confessed to receiving the boy from 18-year-old Babayo Musa. He admitted to slaughtering the child with a knife in the bush near Wuro-Doya, cutting the body into two parts.
The upper part was dumped in a well, while the lower part was handed over to two other suspects, Jibrin Muhammad (alias Ya’Haji) and Usman Abubakar.
Babayo Musa confirmed that he abducted the child from his grandfather’s house around 5:30 p.m. and participated in the killing.
Jibrin and Usman, who were arrested in Gombe metropolis, also confessed to receiving the lower half of the child’s body from Magaji and an accomplice identified as Gimba—who is now at large.
Further investigation revealed the roles of other conspirators. Sadam Umaru allegedly linked the group to native doctors, while Idris Dayyabu and Abdulrauf Hussaini, both traditional healers, admitted they requested human parts for ritual purposes. They reportedly took the lower part of the child’s body, removed the flesh, and buried the remains.
Another suspect, Isiyaku Muhammad, was arrested for criminal conspiracy and concealment. According to the police, he had full knowledge of the murder but failed to report it.
The Command identified the alleged mastermind, one Gimba, who remains on the run. He is believed to be the unwed father of the deceased boy and the brain behind the ritual killing.
Reacting to the development, the Gombe State Commissioner of Police, CP Bello Yahaya, condemned the act and assured the public that all those involved would face the full wrath of the law.
He also urged residents of Gombe State to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement agencies.
The Command reaffirmed its resolve to protect lives and property and to dismantle criminal syndicates threatening peace in the state.
