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Hunting down those who kill people to sell their body parts for ‘magic charms

“I was working with some big, big politicians in Guinea, Senegal and Nigeria. We have our team. Sometimes during election time, at night, this place is full of people.”

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• Picture of Papayo’s mother Sally Kalokoh / BBC.

With many families left traumatised by killings apparently linked to supposed magic rituals in Sierra Leone, BBC Africa Eye looks into those behind the trade in human body parts.

The mother of an 11-year-old boy murdered as part of a suspected black magic killing four years ago is devastated that no-one has yet been brought to justice for his death.

“Today I’m in pain.They killed my child and now there is just silence,” Sallay Kalokoh told BBC Africa Eye, explaining how her son Papayo was found with parts of his body removed, including his vital organs, eyes and one arm.

He had gone out to sell fish at the market and never came back.His family searched for him for two weeks – and finally found his mutilated corpse at the bottom of a well.

“We always tell our children to be careful. If you are selling, don’t go to a corner or take gifts from strangers. It happens frequently in this country,” Ms Kalokoh said.

This murder in my hometown of Makeni, in central Sierra Leone, has haunted me as we often hear of reports of killings linked to black magic, also known as juju, that are never followed up or properly investigated by the authorities.

In Papayo’s case, the police did not even confirm that it was a “ritual killing” – when a person is murdered so that parts of their body can be used in so-called magic rituals by illicit juju practitioners.

They promise things like prosperity and power to clients who pay large sums in the false belief that human body parts can make such charms more potent

.But with the authorities severely under-resourced – there is only one pathologist in a country that has a population of 8.9 million – it is often impossible to gather the evidence needed to track down the culprits.

Belief in witchcraft is also so deeply ingrained in Sierra Leone, even among many police officers, that there is often a fear of pursuing cases further – and most go unsolved.

Our BBC Africa Eye team was able to find two people who claimed they were juju practitioners and offered to obtain body parts for ritual purposes.

Both said they were part of much larger networks – and one boasted that he had powerful clients across West Africa.

The BBC was unable to verify these claims.

One member of our team went undercover, using the name Osman, to pose as a politician who wanted to achieve power through human sacrifice.

We first travelled to a remote area of Kambia district, in the north of the country near the Guinean border, to meet the juju man in his secret shrine – an area in dense bush where he consulted with his clients.

“When Osman specified that he wanted limbs from a woman to be used in a ritual, Kanu got down to business: “The price of a woman is 70m leones [£2,500; $3,000].”

Calling himself Kanu, he wore a ceremonial red mask covering his whole face to conceal his identity and boasted of his political connections.

“I was working with some big, big politicians in Guinea, Senegal and Nigeria. We have our team. Sometimes during election time, at night, this place is full of people,” he claimed.

Election season is regarded by some as a particularly dangerous time when parents have been warned to take special care of their children because of the heightened risk of abductions.

On a second visit, Kanu became more confident and showed Osman what he said was evidence of his trade – a human skull.

“You see this? This belongs to someone. I dried it for them. It is a woman’s skull. I am expecting the person to pick this up today or tomorrow.”

He also pointed to a pit behind his shrine:

“This is where we hang human parts. We slaughter here, and the blood goes down there… Even big chiefs, when they want power, come here. I give them what they want.

“When Osman specified that he wanted limbs from a woman to be used in a ritual, Kanu got down to business: “The price of a woman is 70m leones [£2,500; $3,000].”

Anxious not to put anyone at risk, we did not meet Kanu again. He may have been a scammer, but we handed over our evidence to the local police to investigate further.

Such juju men sometimes refer to themselves as herbalists, the name given to healers who use traditional medicine often made from local plants to treat common illnesses.

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Crime

Tragic: Husband’s Body Found Days After Wife’s Killing

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The body of Ayoola Ayanwale, the prime suspect in the brutal killing of his wife, has been discovered in Ogun State, bringing a shocking and grim conclusion to a case that has gripped public attention.

According to residents of River Valley Estate, Ayanwale’s lifeless body was found on Friday evening in the Sotubo area, just days after the violent death of his wife, Mrs. Ayobami Ganiyatu Ayanwale.

Personal items believed to belong to the deceased suspect were recovered at the scene, raising immediate questions about his movements in the days following the alleged murder of his wife and the circumstances surrounding his own death.

The grim discovery comes barely 48 hours after security agencies launched a statewide manhunt for Ayanwale, following the Thursday night killing that left Mrs. Ayobami Ganiyatu Ayanwale dead and sparked widespread outrage across the state.

The incident has once again thrust the issue of domestic violence into the national spotlight, with many residents and activists calling for stronger measures to protect vulnerable individuals and prevent such tragedies.

Police authorities have yet to release an official statement on the cause of Ayanwale’s death or confirm whether foul play is suspected. An investigation into both deaths is ongoing.

The double tragedy has left the local community in mourning and disbelief, with many asking how a domestic dispute escalated into such fatal consequences for both parties involved.

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Crime

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie blames Euracare Hospital for son’s death

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Chimamanda Ngozi AAdichie has revealed how her son was killed at Euracare Hospital by an anesthesiologist, in her statement, she said: “My son would be alive today if not for an incident at Euracare Hospital on January 6th.We were in Lagos for Christmas.

Nkanu had what we first thought was just a cold, but soon turned into a very serious infection and he was admitted to Atlantis hospital. He was to travel to the US the next day, January 7th, accompanied by Travelling Doctors. A team at Johns Hopkins was waiting to receive him in Baltimore.

The Hopkins team had asked for a lumbar puncture test and an MRI. The Nigerian team had also decided to put in a ‘central line’ (used to administer iv medications) in preparation for Nkanu’s flight. Atlantis hospital referred us to Euracare Hospital, which was said to be the best place to have the procedures done.

The morning of the 6th, we left Atlantis hospital for Euracare, Nkanu carried in his father’s arms. We were told he would need to be sedated to prevent him from moving during the MRI and the ‘central line’ procedure.

I was waiting just outside the theater. I saw people, including Dr M, rushing into the theater and immediately knew something had happened.

A short time later, Dr M came out and told me Nkanu had been given too much propofol by the anesthesiologist, had become unresponsive and was quickly resuscitated.

But suddenly Nkanu was on a ventilator, he was intubated and placed in the ICU. The next thing I heard was that he had seizures. Cardiac arrest. All these had never happened before. Some hours later, Nkanu was goneIt turns out that Nkanu was NEVER monitored after being given too much propofol.

The anesthesiologist had just casually carried Nkanu on his shoulder to the theater, so nobody knows when exactly Nkanu became unresponsive. How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to

monitor him? Later, after the ‘central line’ procedure, the anesthesiologist casually switched off Nkanu’s oxygen and again decided to carry him on his shoulder to the ICU!

The anesthesiologist was CRIMINALLY negligent. He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child. No proper protocol was followed. We brought in a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day. We came to conduct basic procedures.

And suddenly, our beautiful little boy was gone forever. It is like living your worst nightmare. I will never survive the loss of my child.

We have now heard about two previous cases of this same anesthesiologist overdosing children. Why did Euracare allow him to keep working? This must never happen to another child.

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Crime

BREAKING: Court Grants Bail to Ex-AGF Malami and Family in Money Laundering Case

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Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has hinted that there are attempts by lawyers and litigants to influence the money laundering trial of former Attorney General Abubakar Malami scheduled to begin on 17 February.

‎The judge stated this after granting Malami, his son Abdulaziz, and wife Bashir Asabe, bail in the sum of N500million each.

‎In a stern warning shortly after delivering the ruling granting Malami and others bail, Justice Nwite said he would not take lightly any lawyer or litigant intent on ‘approaching’ him to influence the case.

‎He advised parties, to instead, engage the services of quality lawyers to help with their case. He threatens serious consequences for anyone who flouts his directive.

‎On the terms of bail for Malami and his co-defendants, the trial judge ordered that they present two sureties each who must be owners of properties, with proof, in either Maitama, Gwarimpa or Asokoro.

‎The defendants are also ordered to deposit their passports with the court registry, adding that travel out of the country must be by the express permission of the court.

‎Malami and his co-defendants will, meanwhile, remain in prison until they perfect the terms of bail. The trial is scheduled to begin on 17 February.


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