Five people who were found in possession of a human skull were each given a 12-year prison sentence by the Minna Chief Magistrate Court 2.
Three counts of criminal conspiracy, trespassing on cemeteries, and unauthorized possession of a human skull all resulted in the accused’ convictions.
Ibrahim Jiya, Suleiman Usman, Abdullahi Usman, Idris Mohammed, and Isah Mohammed were among the prisoners; they were all residents of Sakpe village in the Edati Local Government Area of Niger State.
Inspector Mua’azu Abdullahi, the police prosecutor, informed the court that the allegations were in violation of Sections 97, 213 and 219 of the Penal Code.
He added that the criminals were taken into custody by the police from the Bida Area Command Office and found in possession of a Bagco bag containing a human skull that had been excavated from a local Muslim graveyard and taken to a herbalist in Minna for a ceremonial payment.
According to Abdullahi, the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) took up the investigation after the case was reported to the Bida police for discreet review
The late Yan Ndako Daniya, who passed away three years ago, was said to have owned the skull, according to the accusations.
When the charges were read to the defendants, they all entered pleas of guilty.
The presiding magistrate, Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan, handed down the verdict and sentenced each suspect to a 12-year prison term without the possibility of a fine.