NSCDC arrests four suspected ritualists in Niger community

Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC), Niger State Command, have arrested a syndicate who allegedly specialised in genital mutilation for rituals, gang-raping of minors, assault and other criminal activities in Pandogari town of Rafi local government area of the  State.

Four members of the syndicate were arrested by a crack team of plain clothes Operatives of the NSCDC from the Rafi Divisional Command through a verifiable intelligence gathering mechanism put in place by the Divisional Command.

The culprits are already cooling their feet at the detention facility of the Niger state command of the NSCDC headquarters in Minna.

Addressing Journalists at a media briefing held at the Command’s State Headquarters, along David Mark Road in Minna on Tuesday, the Commandant of the Corps, Mr Joachim Okafor, explained that as part of the mandate of the corps in ensuring the protection of critical national assets and infrastructures, safe school initiatives, as well as the protection of lives and properties of the citizens, the command effected the arrest members of the syndicate.

The commandant, who was represented at the briefing by the Deputy Commandant of the Corps in the state, DCC Abdulhameed Kabara, disclosed that a 13-year-old JSS 1 female student (names withheld) of Day Secondary school, Pandogari was gang-raped by the syndicate after drugging her with a substance.

Members of the syndicate arrested were identified as Aliyu Amiru, 20 years old; Suleiman Abubakar Gambo, 19 years old; Yusuf Malam Murtala, 22 years old; all according to the Deputy Commandant were residents of Pandogari town of Rafi local government area of the state.

He stated further that on Thursday, May 2nd, the principal of the school informed the Operatives of the Corps about the ugly activities of the syndicate “and a strategy was perfected, by using the victim as bait, it worked out perfectly as one of the members of the syndicate who threatened the girl’s life was promptly arrested.”

Continuing, he said, “The 13-year-old victim further revealed that Aliyu Amiru and other members of his syndicate abducted her sometime in 2022, blindfolded and took her to an uncompleted building on the outskirts of the town where they took turns to gang-raped her,” adding that while she was still in captivity, a little boy of less than two years old was brought and in her presence, his manhood was chopped off.

“She was asked to cooperate, otherwise she would be met with the same fate as the boy.

“She said she was laid flat on the ground and a needle-like substance was used in pricking the surroundings of her navel and lower abdomen,” he told Journalists.

He further informed newsmen that the mutilated genital of the little boy was rubbed over the pierced area of her navel, mixing her blood and that of the boy after which he disclosed that the mutilated genital was dropped inside a little sack, highlighting that the girl managed to escape and they chased her but stopped when she ran into a graveyard.

The NSCDC’s boss said they all allegedly confessed to the crime, adding that the reason for their involvement in the dastardly act was “because one Baba Sada requested them to bring a male child genital to be used for a charm with the assurance that the charm will protect them against any dangerous weapon such as a bullet, matchet, dagger, knives.”

They were said to have also admitted to having received a total sum of N5,000.00  only for the job.

He said the offence, being capital in nature was however transferred to the Intelligence and Investigation Unit of the state command headquarters for discreet Investigation after which they will all be charged to court for prosecution.