Authorities in the Nafada Local Government Area of Gombe State have taken three men into custody following a disturbing discovery involving the desecration of a grave for ritual purposes.
The incident came to light on Thursday through a report shared on X by Zagazola Makama, a well-known counter-insurgency and security expert in the Lake Chad region.
According to the details provided, the case began to unfold on February 24, when a local resident, 45-year-old Zakari Ibrahim, noticed something suspicious.
While passing the Barwo Sabon Gari graveyard, he spotted 30-year-old Umar Ibrahim digging up a grave. Suspecting foul play, he immediately reported the matter to the authorities.
When questioned by the police, the situation took an even darker turn. Umar Ibrahim reportedly admitted that he wasn’t acting alone; he claimed his own father, 60-year-old Ibrahim Usman, had sent him to the graveyard specifically to remove body parts from a deceased person for use in a ritual.
The investigation revealed that this wasn’t an isolated event. Umar allegedly confessed that back in 2025, he had visited the same graveyard to exhume a human toe, which he then handed over to another accomplice, 35-year-old Alhaji Bappa Abdu.
“All three suspects were arrested by the Police and have reportedly confessed to the alleged crimes. Investigations are ongoing,” Makama noted.
The arrests have sent ripples through the local community, highlighting both the grim nature of the crime and the vital importance of neighbors looking out for one another.