•Abeshi
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As the Bible warns, “the love of money is the root of all evil, and some men have for the love of money perced themselves through with many sorrows”. Like Judas Ischariot, this 35-year-old uncle of an eight-year-old boy is now paying his dues at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Department of State Security Service (SSS).

The victim, Lokoja Abeshi, would have probably been dead but for providence, he is alive to tell his story. The plan by his uncle and a palm-wine tapper (name witheld), to use him for money-making rituals was frustrated by the same spiritualist who was supposed to perform the rites.

Narrating the chilling story of how the evil plan was aborted, Aniefiok Tom of the SSS said the department acted on a tip-off and was able to frustrate the plan of the wicked uncle:
“On April 13, 2011, at about 0815 hours, the FCT Command of the SSS acting on a tip-off arrested two suspected ritualists at Durumi 2 Garki Abuja. The suspects (names witheld) abducted one Lokoja Abeshi, eight years old, with the aim of sacrificing him for money ritual at a location in Nasarawa State.
“One Mallam Gado Bako (not real name), who tipped-off the Service and in whose residence the suspects were arrested, stated that the suspects brought the boy to his residence to be sacrificed for money ritual.

“He, however, told them that he only prays for people with problems but does not do rituals. He told them that he was going to assist them get somebody to help them and thereafter alerted the Service. This led to the arrest of the two suspects.” Daily Sun gathered that Abeshi had been living with the uncle since he was a baby when his biological father handed him over to him back at Gurku, Karu Local Government of Nasarawa State. Both uncle and nephew were living together peacefully until few weeks ago when the uncle came to the realization that the only way out of his poverty was to use the boy for rituals.

Though he owned a provisions store in his village, the palm-wine tapper was not contented with his financial status, and believed his poverty was caused by his nephew. Speaking to Daily Sun, the uncle explained that he was told that Abeshi who is just like “my pikin” had “a bad spirit” and was responsible for his financial problems. According to him, he decided to take him to a spiritualist to pray for his deliverance and his friend led him to Bako in Mararaba, also in Nasarawa State. He claimed that the first day he visited the spiritualist, prayers were offered for the boy, but he went back the second day and informed the Mallam that he wished to use the boy for money-making rituals:

“The Mallam said he doesn’t engage in rituals, but only offers prayers. He promised to assist us to get someone that would do it. He demanded for N150, 000 for the rituals, but I said I don’t have such an amount of money. I told him that if I have such an amount, I won’t have come to him. I told him I will pay N30, 000 and he agreed and I gave him the money.”

The uncle said that Bako asked him and his friend to wait while he got something at the next street. A few minutes later, he came back with a team of SSS operatives that arrested both men. But his friend claimed he did not know that the uncle wanted to use his ward for rituals. That he merely informed him that the boy needed prayers: “I took him to the mallam for prayers and not rituals.”

The Mallam told Daily Sun that he decided to contact the SSS in order to save the boy’s life, adding that he does not engage in human rituals, but only prays for people who needed spiritual help:
“When the uncle said he wanted to use the boy for rituals, he said he has just N3, 000 which I collected. I told him I would use the money to buy a ram whose blood would be used to wash the boy’s head before we use him for the sacrifice. I then informed my brother who works with the SSS and he said I should play along with them.” The uncle, however, insisted he gave the spiritualist N30, 000 and not N3, 000.

The Legal Officer of the FCT Command of the SSS stated also that the suspects would soon be handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution: “The uncle blamed his bad luck and misfortune in life on the lad, hence the resolve to sacrifice him.” He advised members of the public to be careful always and promptly report such matters to security agencies.



http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/abujareports/2011/apr/25/abujareports-25-04-2011-001.htm

What is wrong with Nigerians and these money rituals? Is the desire to be rich that strong, that people will sacrifice their own kin?