Bauchi state police men have apprehended 35 year old man identified as Haruna Ezekiel for allegedly burning his 80 year old Uncle to death with claims that he initiated his son to witchcraft.
This was disclosed in a statement released by Spokesperson of the state command, SP Ahmed Waki on Thursday, December 8, stating that Haruna confronted his uncle identified as Sunday Saleh, thereby accused him of introducing his son to witchcraft.
Mr Haruna allegedly hit his 80-year-old paternal uncle with a stick afterwards dragged him inside and set him ablaze.
The inferno burned this victim to death and the suspected however packed the remains and buried it n a shallow grave.
The statement reads:
“On the 06th December 2022, Information received by Tafawa Balewa Divisional Police headquarters revealed that on the 05th December 2022 complainant (name withheld) ‘m’ aged 44yrs of Gongo village while returning from market, he saw flame coming out from the house of one Sunday Saleh (Deceased) ‘m’ aged 80yrs old of the same address.
“He rushed to the scene to ascertain what was happening. On arrival, he met one Haruna Ezekiel (suspect) ‘m’ aged 35yrs of the same address at the scene and discovered that he killed and burnt the said Sunday Saleh inside the house. He (the suspect) later, dug a shallow grave and buried the body behind the burnt house.
“Preliminary investing revealed that the victim is a paternal uncle to the suspect, who alleged to have initiated the suspect’s son “Chomwanda” into witchcraft. On investigation, it was revealed that the suspect discovered that the victim who is now deceased initiated his son into witchcraft unknowingly.
“The suspect was told by his son that the victim gave him a
piece of meat to eat some days ago. Later, the victim met
the son and told him that the meat he ate was an initiation
into witchcraft and that requires his father (the suspect)
must be sacrificed in the process. On hearing this, the
suspect was furious and confronted the victim about the
matter, as the victim has long been suspected to be notorious for witchcraft.
“The victim (Sunday Sale) apologized to the suspect on the
matter but the suspect was short-tempered and hit the
victim with a stick on the head and fainted unconsciously.
He dragged the victim’s body into his house and set the
entire house ablaze. As a result, the victim’s body was
burnt beyond recognition.
“The suspect, therefore swiftly packed the burnt body and
buried it in a shallow grave behind the house. While
reacting to the ugly incident, the Commissioner of Police
CP Aminu Alhassan psc (+) frowned at the action of the
suspect, who instead of reporting the to Police for proper
investigation and prosecution, he took the law into his own
hands, by gruesomely murdered the person he was
suspecting without any recourse of the law.” The statement read.
