Ahmed Salem
The Public Prosecutor's Office at the Bouaké Primary Court announced in an official statement on June 15, 2026, the arrest of a man suspected of kidnapping and killing a number of children as part of witchcraft rituals.
According to the public prosecutor's office in Ivory Coast, the events date back to Sunday, June 14, 2026, when members of the anti-crime squad of the Bouaké police arrested a 36-year-old man named Heli Nabimala Samuel, who described himself as a builder, in the Konankankro neighborhood, located in the city's airport area.
At the time of his arrest, the suspect was carrying a burlap sack containing the body of a child about five years old.
The press release stated that the man confessed, during questioning by investigators, to kidnapping and killing the child whose body was found in the bag. He claimed to have made statements indicating that he was performing periodic rituals to satisfy his desires.
According to Ivorian judicial authorities, the suspect led investigators to the location of three graves in the bushes of the same neighborhood, where he claimed to have buried three other victims.
The searches ordered by the prosecutor, and carried out in his presence on Monday, June 15, 2026, resulted in the discovery and exhumation of three hastily buried bodies. Authorities confirm that the bodies can be identified.
The investigation is still ongoing to identify the victims and find their families, while the Public Prosecution indicates that the suspect will be referred to the judge when the investigation is completed to respond to the charges against him.
This case has sparked outrage in the Ivorian city of Bouaké, and revived fears about ritual killings and child disappearances in many countries in the region.
