Article Author:
Associated Press
Chinedu Asadu
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Twenty mummies, including children, were found in a building in southern Nigeria's Benin City, police said. rice field. , shocking many in a normally busy neighborhood.
Three suspects were arrested during the investigation, police spokeswoman Jennifer Hegb said in a statement late Wednesday.
Armed police raided a building in Edo State's capital Benin City, acting on information that it was a "suspected ceremonial shrine," she said.
"Fifteen male mummified corpses, three mummified female corpses and two mummified child corpses were found just five kilometers from the city center. It was found at the scene (three miles)," Iwegbu said.
Nigerian security forces have uncovered such shrines used by ritualists and kidnappers in the past, but recent discoveries suggest that, given the number of victims, there have been more cases in Nigeria in recent years. One of the most shocking.
Many residents arrived at the building and expressed shock at the operation, which appeared to be hidden even from the eyes of their nearby neighbors. It is unknown at this time whether it has been in the building for that period of time or if the suspect is being questioned.
All three suspects are young men, and police medical teams are participating in the investigation, he said. "Intensive efforts are underway to apprehend other suspects on the run," she added.
