Killer Jumba Ibrahim, holding the head
of 26-year-old house wife, Zainab Barkundi

Front Of The Book : Taraba’s Head-Hunter

The News
By Ben Adaji

On 17 June 26-year-old housewife, Zainab Barkundi died after a protracted illness and was interred at a burial ground in Garba Chede village, Bali Local Government Area of the state.But in the crowd of sympathisers who participated in the burial was one Mohammed Danjoro, a water vendor in Garba Chede village whose motive for being at such a sombre ceremony was ulterior. On returning home from the graveyard, the negatively-inclined Danjoro went to his friend, Jumba Ibrahim (also a water vendor) and informed him he had a lucrative ‘‘business’’ that could fetch him (Jumba) good money. He asked if Jumba was prepared to partake in the deal.

Having received a favourable answer, Danjoro told Jumba that a woman died in the afternoon and was buried in the graveyard. He further told him that if he could exhume the woman’s corpse and bring her head, he (Jumba) would be relieved of poverty. Therefore, at about 7:30p.m. on the fateful day, Danjoro led Jumba to the cemetery and showed him Zainab’s grave. He advised Jumba to execute the project single-handedly at night so that the public would not be attracted. Both men returned afterwards to the town.

Later that night, Jumba went to the graveyard with a very sharp knife and and shovel. After exhuming Zainab’s corpse, he cut off the head and pushed the body back into the grave. He then concealed the head in a polythene bag. The following morning, Jumba went to Danjoro to inform him that the task had been accomplished. Danjoro then directed Jumba to take the head to one Alhaji Jauro in a village called Yallo, in Gombe State. He also advised Jumba not to disclose the content of the polythene bag to Alhaji Jauro but should wait until he (Danjoro) arrived Jauro’s home to handle the transaction.

For full details, demand the 10, July 2006 issue of TheNEWS from your vendor now.