• 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.

The Christ Apostolic Church, CAC Oke Isegun, Eruku, Kwara State, on Sunday, held a special service inside its blood-splattered auditorium, praying for the safe return of kidnapped members and the repose of those killed during Tuesday’s brutal bandit attack.

The church on Sunday officially confirmed that 38 worshippers were abducted, contrary to earlier claims circulating on social media.

Speaking on Sunday, the church secretary, Michael Agbabiaka, said the church initially compiled 35 names of abducted members, but further verification revealed that three non-members were also taken, bringing the total number of hostages to 38.

“The rumour that over 60 people were kidnapped is not true. I have a list with their phone numbers. We don’t want any misinformation. We have 38 people inside the bush. Three died, and one victim is in the hospital receiving treatment,” he said.

Agbabiaka further disclosed that the kidnappers, who initially demanded N100m per victim, later reduced the ransom to N20m each after negotiations before cutting off communication on Friday.

He noted that although shock and fear still gripped the town, the church encouraged members to attend the Sunday service to strengthen their faith.

“We thank God for life today. You can see that only a few people came because it has not been easy. But God gave us courage.

“We also thank the government for deploying security. They are patrolling the town, and even here in the church, security operatives are present,” he added.

Earlier during the service, the presiding pastor, Bamidele Lawrence, described the attack as a test of faith for the congregation. Quoting 2 Peter 3:10, he urged worshippers not to lose hope, saying he received divine assurances concerning the abducted victims.

“The first promise God gave me is that all our kidnapped members will gain freedom very soon.

They will not die in captivity. “God says He will assist us. Our children, mothers and wives will come out strong. It will be a miracle to the world when our people regain their freedom”, he said.

He also told the congregation that the worsening insecurity in Nigeria would attract divine intervention and urged them not to fear, saying current events were part of biblical prophecies about the end times.

One of the affected worshippers, James Ige, whose wife and son were among those abducted, pleaded with the authorities to intensify rescue efforts.

“I beg the government and security agencies to do everything within their capacity to bring my family back safely,” he said.

The Kebbi State Government has ordered the immediate closure of all public and private secondary schools across the state following heightened security threats, marking one of the most sweeping shutdowns of the education sector in recent years.

The directive also affects all state-owned tertiary institutions, with the exception of the College of Nursing Sciences, Birnin Kebbi.

The announcement was contained in a joint statement issued in Birnin Kebbi by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Halima Bande, and the Commissioner for Higher Education, Alhaji Issa Abubakar-Tunga.

Dr. Bande said the decision was taken to safeguard students and staff amid “the recent disturbing cases of attacks in parts of the state.

The shutdown affects hundreds of secondary schools, including government day schools, boarding schools, and privately owned institutions across all 21 local government areas.

Many parents had already expressed anxiety following recent attacks on communities and the abduction of schoolgirls in Maga.

The tertiary institutions listed for closure include Kebbi State Polytechnic, Dakingari; Abdullahi Fodio University of Science and Technology, Aliero; College of Health Sciences and Technology, Jega; Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu; and the School of Remedial Studies, Yauri.

The commissioners clarified that only the College of Nursing Sciences and Midwifery, Birnin Kebbi, will remain open.

They urged school authorities and the public to remain calm and cooperate with government directives while security agencies intensify operations across the state.

The statement was signed by Ahmed Idris, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.