The police in Kano State have arrested a 17-year-old boy for allegedly removing the eyeball of a 12-year-old boy.

Spokesman of the state police command, SP Abdullahi Haruna-Kiyawa, told reporters on Wednesday in Kano that the incident occurred on March 20.

He said that the victim was seen by the roadside without a right eyeball and with blood coming out of the eye.

Mr Haruna-Kiyawa said that the Commissioner of Police, Sama’iala Shuaibu-Dikko, mobilised a team of police personnel to the scene and the victim was taken to a hospital. 

“The police rushed the victim to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Kano, where doctors confirmed that the eyeball was forcefully removed with an object.

“The victim was admitted at the hospital, while the police had, since then, launched an investigation,” he said.

The police spokesman said that the suspect was arrested by the police, with help of a vigilante group in that area.

He said that the suspect confessed to committing the offence. 

“The suspect told police that he lured the boy to a place, tightened his hands and used a sharp object to remove his right eyeball,” he said. 

Mr Haruna-Kiyawa said that the police further asked the suspect why he committed the act. 

“He (the suspect) said that it was an elderly woman who instructed him to bring an eyeball of a human being to make a charm that would make him disappear.

“The woman had also been arrested,” he said.

The police spokesman said that the case had been transferred to state Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for further investigation, adding that the suspects would be charged to court.

He called on the public to be watchful about happenings in their surroundings and immediately report any criminal activity to the police for prompt action. (NAN)