Why I Dug My Stepfather's Grave, Cut Off His Head – Suspect Confesses

By Akonasu Gbedozin  The Adamawa State Police Command has arrested a 55-year-old hunter, Yusuf Garba, also known as Gana, for allegedly exhu...

By Akonasu Gbedozin 

The Adamawa State Police Command has arrested a 55-year-old hunter, Yusuf Garba, also known as Gana, for allegedly exhuming his stepfather's corpse and severing the head.  

Garba, who hails from Tappare Kona Uku in Jada Local Government Area, confessed to the crime during interrogation, according to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje.  

Explaining his actions, Garba claimed he was compelled by the son of the deceased, who allegedly sought his father’s head for ritual purposes. He stated that after the man’s demise, his son had initially attempted to move the corpse to Jalingo, Taraba State, for burial but was denied. A year later, the son returned with a demand for his father’s head, insisting it was needed for traditional rites.  

Fearing for his safety and that of his children, Garba said he yielded to pressure, believing the deceased’s son possessed supernatural powers and could harm him if he refused.  

"I took a hoe around 4:00 a.m., went to the graveyard, dug the grave, and cut off the head," Garba recounted. He later handed over the severed head in a polythene bag.  

Two weeks after the incident, the widow of the deceased reported experiencing disturbing dreams, which she attributed to the head being kept in their bedroom. Garba claimed he performed a ritual to stop the nightmares.  

The Adamawa State Commissioner of Police, CP Morris Dankombo, has ordered a thorough investigation and prosecution of the suspect.