Nigeria: two death sentences and a life term for a teenager killed in a money ritual
Record class
Context only
Evidence status
Convicted
Authority role
lay perpetrators acting on money-ritual belief; no religious office held
Organization
No organization assigned
Spiritual nexus
NOT AN AUTHORITY-ABUSE CASE. Victim-directed ritual, and notably without any herbalist or religious figure among the convicted — belief in the ritual's efficacy was sufficient motive for lay perpetrators.
- Prosperity, divination, or curse-removal claim
- Violent occult ideology or sacrifice
Evidence structure
Proceedings
2025-07-11 · convictions and sentences
Ogun State High Court (Justice Olugboyega Ogunfowora). On 11 July 2025 the Ogun State High Court convicted Mustakeem Balogun, Soliudeen Majekodunmi and Lukmon Abdulgafar of the murder of sixteen-year-old Sofia Okeowo, lured under pretence of a relationship, strangled and beheaded for a money ritual. Balogun and Majekodunmi were sentenced to death by hanging and Abdulgafar to life imprisonment.
Documented coercion mechanisms
- a girl lured under pretence of a relationship, then killed and mutilated for a money ritual
Primary record
Sources
- national newspaper court reporting verdict and sentencing report The Punch: 'Court sentences two to death for ritual killing in Ogun'.
National paper of record's court report.
- national broadcaster court reporting verdict report Channels TV: conviction report.
National broadcaster corroboration.
Related record
Related cases · Nigerian juju (trafficking)
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- 2018 · Benin City, Nigeria Oba of Benin revokes juju trafficking oaths
- 2018 · Spain Europol op: 89 arrests, Nigerian juju trafficking ring
- 2018 · Paris, France Paris trial — voodoo-oath sex-trafficking network
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- 2023 · Lausanne, Switzerland Swiss court — juju sex-trafficking conviction
- 2019 · Marseille, France Marseille: Supreme Vikings juju-oath trafficking convictions
- 2021 · Valladolid, Spain Spain Supreme Court upholds voodoo-oath trafficking (20 yrs)
- 2017 · Bruges, Belgium Bruges: Nigerian voodoo-trafficking ring convicted
- 2019 · Milan, Italy Milan: voodoo 'mental dependency' slavery conviction
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