“The ritual head hunter was beaten to a pulp by resident of the area where had he killed the child victim identified as Usman Awalu.”
Molly Kilete, Abuja
A 22-year-old man, Mustapha Aliyu, has landed in custody of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police for the gruesome murder and decapitation of a three-year-old boy for ritual purposes.
The three-year-old boy was the fifth victim the suspect had killed and beheaded before he was eventually caught.
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The ritual head hunter was beaten to a pulp by resident of the area where had he killed the child victim identified as Usman Awalu. The deceased was said to be the child of a Fulani man resident at Rugan Fulani, close to Leleyi village in Kwali Area Council of the FCT.
But for the quick intervention of the police, the lynching of the murder suspect would have resulted in his death, with the village rallying after vigilantes caught him with a bag containing the fresh head of the innocent child.
Caught in the violence of the lynch mob, a policeman who led authorities to arrest the suspect is said to be lying critical ill in one of the area hospitals.
The suspect, who claimed he had made good money killing innocent children and chopping off their heads, confessed that he used the money to purchase lands and build houses in the area.
Though not unmarried and without children of his own, the suspect, who said he was looking forward to getting married, told this reporter that he would not like anyone to kill his child.
In the following interview, the suspect narrates how he went into the bloody head hunting ‘business’.
“My name is Mustapha Aliyu. I am 22-years-old and I am from Lele-Gwari village in Kwali Area Council.
“I got into the business of killing children though my master who asked me to go and cut human heads for him. I met my master after I went to meet him to assist me with money because I wanted to go to school, and he said ‘no problem’. After that he entertained me with rice and palm oil, and after I ate I started obeying his orders, I could not argue with him.”
“To start the killings, he equipped me with a machete, a cloth and charms; that was how I was recruited into killing innocent children.”
“He specifically asked me to bring heads of children for him and promised to give me N170,000, if I bring the head of a boy and N160,000 for that of a girl.
HOW I OPERATE
“My master gave me one charm with which I operate with whenever I go in search of my victims. All I do is put the charm on my hand and if I see any child I will just touch the child, and once I do that the child will just lose his or her senses and won’t be able to talk again; then I will take the child to a lonely place, push them to the ground and kill them with the machete and other things given to me by my master.”
“To separate the head from the body of the child, I usually hit the head two times, after which I will put the head in a bag and deliver to my master and he will give me the cash (payment) immediately.”
“So far I have killed four children, two boys and two girls, and this one was the fifth one before I was caught. Apart from the head, I don’t take anything from their bodies because that was the instruction my master gave me.
“My master bought me land for doing a good job and I have built houses with the money I made from the business. I am not afraid of sleeping in the house that I built using the blood of innocent children, I am happy with it.
“I am not yet married I am looking forward to getting married but honestly I will not be happy if somebody kills my child like this”used to pay me.”