A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Tunga, Minna, Niger State has sentenced five men charged with possession of human skulls to 60 years imprisonment with hard labour.

Each of the convicts will spend 12 years in prison for attempting to commit a money ritual with the skulls.

Chief Magistrate Fati Umar Hassan, passed the judgment, on Monday.

She found them guilty on a three-count charge which bordered on criminal conspiracy, trespass on burial ground, and unlawful possession of a human skull.

The convicts are Ibrahim Jiya, Suleiman Usman, Abdullahi Usman, Idris Mohammed, and Isah Mohammed, all from Sakpe village of Edati Local government area of Niger State

Police prosecutor, Inspector Mua’azu Abdullahi, said the charges were punishable under sections 97, 213 and 219 of the penal code law.

He told the court that the three were arrested by the police personnel from Bida Area Command, and the case was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discrete investigation.

He further told the court that the convicts were caught with a sack containing a human skull.

The prosecutor said that they told investigators that a herbalist in Minna directed them to bring a human skull to be used for money-making ritual so that they can become rich.

“They said the herbalist in turn informed and promised all of them that they would share the wealth from the said criminal activity and directed them to look for the human skull.

“They had to trespass inside the Muslim cemetery in Nasarafu village. They proceeded to dig a grave in the cemetery and dug up the human skull of one Late Yan Ndako Daniya who died three years ago and during the police investigation you all confessed to the crime,” the prosecutor told the court.

When the three count charges were read to them by the presiding Chief Magistrate, they all pleaded guilty to the charges.

At this point, the prosecutor Inspector Mua’azu Abdullahi prayed the court to invoke the provision of section 157 of the criminal procedure code on them through summary trial and convict them accordingly.

While passing Judgment, Chief Magistrate Fati Umar Hassan sentenced each of them to 12 years imprisonment with hard labor and without option of fine.