By High Court in Gombe State has sentenced five men to various prison terms for grave exhumation and ritual-related offences in Gadam village, Kwami Local Government Area of the state.
The judgement was delivered by Justice Abdulsalam Mohammed of High Court No. 8 after the accused persons were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, attempted offence, desecration of a corpse and grave, unlawful entry into a graveyard, theft, operating an illegal society, use of unlawful juju, and unlawful possession of human body parts.
Those convicted are Mohammed Isah, also known as Chindo; Kawuni Sarki; Manu Saleh; Umar Jibrin, popularly called Daddy; and Adamu Nasiru. Another suspect, Abdullahi Umar Dauda, is still at large and currently facing trial.
The prosecution told the court that on September 11, 2025, the accused conspired with two other suspects, Aliyu Baka and Reuben, who are yet to be apprehended, to carry out the crime.
According to the prosecution, the suspects unlawfully entered the Muslim cemetery in Gadam village at night and exhumed the grave of the late Malam Manu Wanzam, from which they allegedly removed the deceased’s eyes for ritual purposes. They were also said to have attempted to exhume another grave the same night.
State counsel, Ahmed Yakubu, informed the court that the offences contravened several sections of the Penal Code Law, including Sections 96, 95, 218, 213, 286, 335, 306, 97A, 97B, 216 and 219.
During the trial, the accused persons pleaded guilty to some of the charges, prompting the prosecution to request that the court summarily try them for those counts under the Gombe State Administration of Criminal Justice Law.
In his judgement, Justice Mohammed sentenced Mohammed Isah, Kawuni Sarki, Manu Saleh, Umar Jibrin and Adamu Nasiru to six months imprisonment under Section 218, and an additional one-year term on another count.
For theft, Mohammed Isah, Kawuni Sarki and Adamu Nasiru received an additional two-year sentence each, along with another six months on a separate count.
The court ruled that the sentences should run consecutively. Consequently, Mohammed Isah and Kawuni Sarki will each serve five years in prison, Manu Saleh and Umar Jibrin two years and six months each, while Adamu Nasiru will serve four years and six months.
