Man allegedly hired to kill 3 elderly women over witchcraft claims in Niger
NIGER STATE, Nigeria — A 35-year-old man, Mohammed Sani, has been apprehended by the Niger State Police Command for the alleged murder of a 65-year-old woman and the serious injury of another, following accusations that the victims engaged in witchcraft.
Authorities reported that Sani, a resident of Kebbi State, was allegedly recruited by three men from Kokolo Village in the Auna District to carry out the assaults, which were based on claims that the women were witches. The incident took place on October 3, 2026, when Sani reportedly entered the home of Tani Nuhu and fatally attacked her.
According to police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun, detectives from the Nasko Division responded to reports of the attack and subsequently arrested Sani. He was taken into custody alongside two accomplices, Isa Lamaran, 65, and Abdullahi Hamidu, who also reside in Kokolo Village.
During questioning, Sani reportedly confessed that Lamaran and Hamidu, along with a fourth suspect, Rufa’i Gado—who remains at large—had contracted him to carry out the killings. Sani claimed that Lamaran provided him with a hoe to commit the attack, while Hamidu allegedly offered him two plots of land and the hand of his daughter in marriage if he succeeded.
Investigation revealed that while Sani successfully killed Nuhu, he also inflicted serious injuries on another woman targeted in the alleged witchcraft accusations.
The Niger State Police Command announced that Gado is currently being sought, and the three detained suspects are held at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Minna. They are expected to face charges of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, and causing grievous harm upon the conclusion of the investigation and the arrest of additional accomplices.
