Ritualists caught after raping and removing disabled victim’s eyes

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested three suspected ritualists who raped and mutilated a handicapped 30 year old woman. The suspects said they were sent by one Usman Sambo, a self-proclaimed herbalist who promised to give them N1 million in exchange for human eyes.

The suspects carried out their dastardly deed, attacking Zainab Mohammed as she returned from an event in the Lukshi village of Dass Local Government Area.

Bitrus Yakubu, one of the assailants said, “We don’t know what he wanted to do with the eyes, but he told us that if we bring the eye to him, he will give us N1m.

“It was as a result of such promise that we had to remove her eye. It was because of greed.

“But when we took the eye to him, he asked us to wait until he confirmed that the eye would work for the purpose it was meant for.”

The other suspect denied raping the victim, he said, “I know her very well, I couldn’t have raped her. Her mother and my mother came from the same area.”

Whilst the herbalist denied the allegations altogether.

He said, “I did not send them to bring any eye to me. I am a licensed herbalist who gives people herbs for different diseases and illnesses.

“Bitrus only came to me and told me that he had gotten a human eye and asked me if I could make a charm for him.

“I then asked him what kind of charm he wanted and he said one that would enable him disappear and reappear at any time and any place, but I told him I could not make such a charm.”

The victim said they initially tried to offer her money for her eyes.

“I know two of them who removed my eye.

“When I refused their offer, they raped me and forcefully removed my eye and tried to remove the second one, but I shouted and people came.

“When they saw people coming, they left me in a pool of blood and ran into the bush,” she said from her hospital bed.