Man in Court for Attempting to use Cousin for Ritual

A suspect ritualist, Jonah
Jabbah, who allegedly
attempted to use his eight-
year-old cousin for money-
making ritual said that he felt
the lad was responsible for his misfortune in business. A Police Investigator, Mr
Simon Ezekiel, made the
disclosure in his testimony to
an Abuja Court on Thursday. Ezekiel, who investigated the
case, told a Karu Chief
Magistrates’ Court in Abuja,
presided over by Mr Shaibu
Ahmed, that the accused
made the confession during interrogation at the station. Jonah, his brother, Nanah
Jabbah and one Alhaji
Mamman are facing a three-
count charge of criminal
conspiracy, abduction and
attempt to commit an offence. Ezekiel, who appeared in
court as a prosecution
witness, alleged that the
three conspired to use an
eight-year-old boy, Lokoja
Abash, for ritual sometime in 2011. He was led in evidence by the
Prosecution Counsel, Mr John
Ijagbemi. The investigator said the
accused persons were
arrested by operatives of the
State Security Service (SSS) on
April 12, 2011 and
transferred to the State Police CID Command in Abuja,
three days later. He said that the accused
persons, all residents of
Kokona in Nasarawa, had
taken the boy to a
spiritualist, based in Durumi
II, Abuja, Mohammed Ibrahim, for ritual purposes. “The spiritualist requested
for N30,000 to enable him
buy the items needed for the
ritual which they provided. “Ibrahim, who told them to
wait for him in his shrine
while he went to purchase
the items, tipped off the SSS
whose operatives stormed
the shrine and arrested the suspects. “During interrogation, the
first accused person (Jonah) said that the boy was his
cousin and had been staying
with him for some time
before the incident. “He said after the boy joined
him, his provision business
collapsed and his pick-up van
broke down beyond repair. “Jonah confessed that he
decided to use him for ritual
because he later discovered
that the boy was in a secret
society and was responsible
his misfortune,’’ he alleged. The witness also said that he
led the investigation team on
a visit to the scene of the
incident and discovered that
the shrine existed. After the witness’ testimony,
the prosecution counsel
tendered signed written
statements made by the
accused persons’ at the
station as exhibits. The court admitted the
statements in evidence after
the accused persons agreed
that they were made and
signed by them. When asked whether they
had any question to the
evidence of the prosecution
witness, the accused persons,
who represented themselves
in court, answered in the negative. The Chief Magistrate then
adjourned the case till May
30, for continuation of
hearing and presentation of
more witnesses