Security & Crime
Alleged Witchcraft: Pastor, Two Others Remanded For Dehumanizing 90-Year-Old Woman, Others
The Edo State Police Command says it has arrested a pastor and one other for alleged dehumanization and brutalization of a 90-year-old, Adishetu Atairu, the Chief Imam of Ofukpo-Ekperi community in Etsako Central Local Government of Edo State and six others.
According to the Daily Post, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the suspects’ arrest to journalists in Benin City on Thursday.
According to him, “The incident is confirmed, the police are aware of it. The Pastor and one other person have been arrested and they are in police custody. The suspects have been charged to court.”
The victims’ alleged dehumanization and brutalization were captured on video and went viral on WhatsApp and Facebook.
The clip, which depicted a throng at night, was believed to have been led by a man simply known as Pastor Sharp-Sharp.
In one of the viral clips, a young man, Adishetu Atairu, was shown brutalizing an elderly woman in her 90s, Musa Shaibu, the community’s Imam, and six others.
In the footage, an old woman with a walking stick is pulled to the centre of the mob, with a young man calling for her to sit down.
In the video, the old woman was seen sitting on a chair, and Pastor Sharp-Sharp could be heard commanding her to sit on the floor, even as another young man kicked her knees, knocking her to the ground.
Another video showed the community’s Chief Imam sitting on the bare ground with a young man removing his cap.
It was also discovered that the same treatment was meted out to a Hijab-wearing young woman who the Pastor accused of murdering one Eshe and his wife using diabolical tactics.
Speaking about the incident, Abu Buhari, a neighbourhood resident, stated that it occurred on July 5, 2024, and that the Pastor and his accomplices dehumanized and beat the 90-year-old Adishetu Atairu, his stepmother, and others.
Buhari stated that the event was reported to the police, who asked them to file a petition.
He stated that following the petition, the preacher was detained by the Police Area Command Office in Agenebode, Etsako East local government, on July 17.
He did, however, urge the police and other relevant government institutions to intervene to prevent communal and religious conflicts in the state and bring the culprits to justice.
He added that his stepmother and the other victims who had been assaulted and dehumanized were still suffering.
The Edo Muslims for Equity and Good Governance (EMEGG) praised the Nigeria Police Force and other security personnel for intervening before the situation deteriorated.
Sirajudeen Muhammad, the group’s coordinator, told Muslims in Edo State and around the world that justice for those who have been humiliated will not be compromised. He also stated that the pastor and two others had been charged in court.
“We were at the court today and we will always be present at the court”, he stated.
He said the case has been adjourned to August 7, 2024, for a hearing.
A 30-year-old man, Ofobuike Damian, has appeared before an Abakaliki magistrates’ court 2 for stabbing his aged mother to death.
Damian, whose address was not provided, pleaded guilty to a count of murder.
The Prosecutor, Mr. David Njoku, Senior State Council, told the court that Damian committed the offences on March 19, 2026, at Ohatekwe, Ukawu, in the Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
Njoku said the defendant caused the death of his mother, Mrs. Onyema Damian, by stabbing her with a knife in the back.
He noted that the offence was punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 33 vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State, 2009.
The defendant, who had no legal representation, told the court that he killed his mother for refusing to bathe him.
“I don’t know what really happened, but I can remember that I killed her over her refusal to bathe me,” he told the court.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr. Chinedu Agama, ordered that the defendant be remanded in a correctional centre, as the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
Agama ordered that the case file and exhibits be forwarded to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice.
He, therefore, adjourned the matter to April 9.
Tragedy struck in Kano yesterday when a 30-year-old man, identified as Mutawakilu Ibrahim, allegedly stabbed his grandparents, Muhammad Dansokoto and Hadiza Tasidi, to death following an altercation over food.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Kano State Police Command, Abdullahi Haruna, said the suspect, believed to have been under the influence of intoxicants, used a knife to stab both victims multiple times, inflicting severe injuries.
The victims were rushed to the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano, where medical personnel confirmed them dead. Their corpses were later released to their relatives for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.
According to the police statement: “On September 25, 2025, at about 9:30 a.m., a resident of Kofar Dawanau Quarters reported that one Mutawakilu Ibrahim, aged 30, had a quarrel with his grandparents, Muhammad Dansokoto, aged 75, and Hadiza Tasidi, aged 65, over a food-related disagreement.
“During the altercation, the suspect allegedly used a knife to stab both victims in various parts of their bodies, causing severe injuries. The suspect, suspected to be under the influence of intoxicants, has since been arrested.”
Haruna added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, has directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Homicide Section, for discreet investigation.
He assured that the suspect would be charged to court upon completion of investigations.
A missing teenager, Master Lawal Wahab, 16, has been found dead with his heart, wrist and genitals harvested by persons suspected to be ritualists.
The deceased, until his mysterious disappearance, had been staying with his grandmother, before he was declared missing by his father, Mr. Lawal Olumide.
However, his lifeless and decomposed body was discovered along the Old Express Road, Igbile-Ijebu on July 23rd, 2025 with his remains severely mutilated.
The Ogun Police Command, which confirmed the incident, said it is investigating case, suspecting to be a ritual murder.
The spokesperson of the command, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Omolola Odutola, said officers from Omu-Ijebu Division have arrested suspects identified as Salawu Omikansola (25 years) ‘m’, Serefusi Agemo ‘m’, and others in connection with the murder.
Odutola said one of the suspects had made a voluntary confessional statement, which was also recorded on video.
According to her, investigation revealed that the boy’s head, both wrists, heart, and genitals had been gruesomely removed—suggesting ritualistic motives.
The police spokesperson, however, added that the deceased has been buried in accordance with Islamic rites due to the state of the remains.
He said: “The case file, alongside exhibits, is being prepared for immediate transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, for further discreet investigation. Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to arrest other fleeing accomplices.
“The Ogun State Police Command condemns this heinous act and assures the public that justice will be pursued to its logical conclusion.
“We urge citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the nearest police formation.”
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