A suspected ritualist simply identified as Bobby has been arrested in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, after being found with mutilated remains of a six-year-old boy believed to have been killed for ritual purpose.
The suspect, who is from the Ovom community where the incident occurred, was taken into custody on Wednesday evening by residents in the Aritalin area.
According to media reports, Bobby was acting suspiciously which prompted residents to raise an alarm and confronted him.
He was reportedly trying to escape to an undisclosed location when he was caught.
The gory discovery caused unrest within the local Hausa community, with some residents attempting to take the law into their own hands.
However, community elders were able to restore order and ensured the suspect was handed over to the police.
A relative of the victim said the boy had been in Yenagoa to join in Eid celebrations before his untimely death. “The deceased boy had visited Yenagoa to celebrate Salah, but his life was cut short,” he said.
Hajia Aisha Abeki, Chairperson of the Federation of Muslim Women Association (FOMWAN) in Bayelsa, expressed her grief and condemned the act. “FOMWAN condemns the action and call on the Bayelsa State Police Command to ensure that justice is done,” Abeki stated.
Also reacting, Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy-Harry, President of the National Association of Women Against Gender-Based Violence (AWAGBV), called for a thorough investigation and prosecution of the suspect.
Goddy-Harry noted that she, alongside Dr. Boma Tonye Miebai, Chairperson of the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and FOMWAN representatives, met with the state Commissioner of Police, CP Francis Idu, who assured them the case would be thoroughly handled.