The Gombe State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested six men accused of exhuming the corpse of 85-year-old Mallam Manu Wanzam for ritual purposes in Kwami Local Government Area.
Command spokesperson, SC Buhari Saad, revealed in a statement on Friday, September 19, 2025, that the suspects allegedly dug up the grave just two days after the burial.
Those arrested include Adamu Umar (22), Umar Jibrin Aboki (21), Abdullahi Umar Dauda (17), Muhammed Isa Chindo (28), Kawuji Sarki (39), and Manu Sale (23). They were caught in a joint operation by officers of the State Command Headquarters and Gadam Division on September 11, 2025, between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
According to the NSCDC, investigation revealed that Kawuji Sarki contracted Muhammed Isa Chindo, who then recruited the others, to exhume the corpse and remove the eyes for N500,000 each. The suspects confessed to reburying the body after taking the parts.
One accomplice remains on the run as security operatives intensify efforts to arrest him.
