The police in Kaduna State have arrested a nine-man gang of suspected ritualists at a Cemetery in Dutsen Abba Ward along the Zaria -Kaduna expressway with one full jerry can of human blood.
Confirming the arrest on Sunday, Public Relations Officer of the Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Mansur Hussaini explained that their arrest followed a tip-off after a source drew the attention of the service formation that some group of people were sighted at the said cemetery.
The police PRO gave the name of those apprehended for alleged involvement in ritual activities as Samson Ezekiel (32), Usman Nura (34), Gabriel Sheba (23), Haruna Sa’id (37), Samuel Francis (27), Bala Lukman (27) and Jabir Rilwan (37).
According to the police image maker, a search was conducted on their vehicle, a Lexus sedan, with registration number RSH 712 CW, where two locally made pistols, one Beretta pistol, two jacket knives, two calabashes and a jerrycan, full of human blood were recovered.
He said the suspected ritualists, comprising the new and old members, were apprehended while initiating the new members.
Hussaini further revealed that the gang confessed to getting the human blood after slaughtering an aged man and disposing of his body along the Jaji military cantonment, in neighbouring Igabi Local Government Area.
The suspects also confessed that the man’s vital body parts were dismembered but were taken away by another gang which came from Kaduna.
Following the arrest of the seven suspected ritualists along the Zaria -Kaduna expressway, he said that two other suspects were apprehended by the locals, at ABU Congo Conference Hotels, along old Jos road.
The PPRO gave the names of the two others as Austin Ifinju, aged 28 and Aliyu Ali Yahaya, aged 24.
