‘His
blood will not let me rest’, man in ritual murder cries
By Chioma Okezie-Okeh
Saturday, October 6, 2007
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•Chinasa
Pix: Sun News Publishing |
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It all started sometime last year, Muyiden Salami and his
friend Nurudeen had long planned that come September 2007
they would be one of richest men in the area.
To achieve that they were requested by an alfa known as Soji
Akodia alias Baba Beji to produce human blood. In as much
as they wanted to be rich there was need to play safe. Salami
picked his target. A 15 year-old-boy known as Riwanu Rasheed
living in their area at J4 Garage, Seme border. He got acquainted
with his target, and when he was able to get his trust, he
took him for sacrifice.
Later when the teen got missing, he still offered to help
the family fish out his dear friend who had been lost for
more than four days. At the police station he suddenly started
singing. " His blood would not let me be. I killed him."
He was arrested alongside the Alfa and they are being detained
at the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti
where investigations is still on to fish out his friend Nurudeen
who is currently at large.
I wanted to be rich
Disappointed at himself, Salami told Saturday Sun
that if he knew his misplaced ambition would turn out this
way he would not have tried his hands on spilling blood and
"wasting Rasheed".
Narrating the incident, Salami, 35, who hails from Ibadan,
said that he was tired of the little he made out of his trade.
A friend sometime suggested to him that there is a famous
Alfa who could help them out. Accompanied by his friend Nurudeen,
they consulted the Alfa who told them that it was possible
to get rich quick but it would demand the use of fresh human
blood.
He set out to find who could fit into the scene. After fruitless
attempts, he noticed Rasheed who was also living in their
area at J4 Garage Seme Border. " I became friendly with
Rasheed giving him gifts till he trusted so much that when
his parents warned him to steer clear of me as I was a bad
influence he refused."
Sample
On September 21, Salami asked Rasheed to accompany him to
a place where he claimed he wanted to pick up some materials
for sale. When they got there, he signaled to the Alfa who
observed Rasheed and concluded that he was a good material
for the money ritual. " The Baba smiled that the boy
had the perfect blood for the sacrifice. He gave my friend
Nurudeen a ring and asked him to touch the boy on the shoulder
that he would not resist when being butchered." As instructed
Nurudeen touched Rasheed’s neck and he became dumb.
"
He started behaving like a robot, he could not move unless
instructed. The Alfa immediately gave us a basin and asked
us to kill him like a fowl ensuring that the blood pours into
the basin. We took him outside and severed his neck, kept
him bending till all the blood dripped into the basin. The
Alfa took the basin and made a soap out of it."
Money could not flow
Salami and his friend were asked to use the soap to bath chanting
some incantations. "He said we should be calling Rasheed’s
name and money would start flowing. But we did as instructed
and nothing came forth. They went back to the Alfa in anger
who asked them to continue with the exercise that money would
definitely flow.
When Salami noticed that the dead body of his friend was still
lying outside, he asked them to wait till dawn. As a respected
Alfa in the area he sent a messenger to tell the entire village
that everyone should stay in doors, as he wanted to cleanse
the land. The people obeyed him and stayed in doors while
he used the opportunity to bury Rasheed. When we were through
with the burial he asked us to keep on trying that we would
finally succeed."
Friend indeed
When Rasheed’s family noticed that he was nowhere to
be found, the family organized a search. Salami who happens
to be the closest friend was called upon and he swore that
he was going to find him wherever he was, as he remains a
very good friend. On September 23, he advised the family on
the need to rely on the police to help find Rasheed. At the
Seme border police station witnesses gave details of when
Rasheed was last. As the facts narrowed down to him as the
major suspect in the whereabouts of the missing teenager,
Salami became jittery, and he started singing. " I killed
him. His ghost has been hunting me about. If I do not confess
he would kill me. The medicine did not work if I knew that
the Alfa was fake I would not have wasted Rasheed".
It is true
Visibly shaking, as he is yet to come to terms that his power
failed him, the 45-year-old alfa confirmed Salami confession.
" All he said is true", the Alfa who hails from
Cotonou confessed that he is a powerful native doctor respected
in his area. Asked why the medicine failed he said that Salami
and his friend did not follow the right procedure. He was
actually waiting for them when the police came and arrested
him. On how much he was paid, he said that they were on an
oath that after the success of the ritual he would be paid
heavily.
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