Muktar Shehu, 27, was remanded in custody after being charged with house trespass, theft and alleged criminal charm in Yola

A 27-year-old man, Muktar Shehu, has been arraigned before Chief Magistrate Court 3 in Yola, Adamawa State, over the alleged theft of 27 pieces of women’s underwear, which police said he confessed to taking for ritual purposes.

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Shehu, from Zango Ward in Jimeta, Yola North Local Government Area, was arraigned by the Adamawa State Police Command on charges of house trespass, theft and criminal charm.

The case followed an alleged Adamawa underwear theft incident involving Halima Yakubu, whose residence police said Shehu allegedly entered on August 6, 2026.

According to the First Information Report tendered before the court by Police Prosecutor Danjuma Hamidu, Shehu allegedly broke into Yakubu’s house and took 27 pieces of underwear.

The prosecutor told the court that Shehu subsequently confessed during police interrogation that he had stolen the items for ritual purposes.

The allegation formed the basis of the criminal charm charge brought against him.

Following his arraignment, Chief Magistrate Court 3 ordered that Shehu be remanded in custody. The case remains subject to further proceedings.

The allegations have not been established in court, and Shehu is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The case has drawn attention because of the unusually large number of items allegedly taken from a single residence and the police claim that the accused linked the alleged theft to ritual activity.

Cases involving the alleged use of personal clothing in ritual practices have periodically emerged in Nigeria, prompting concern from law enforcement agencies and community leaders.

However, allegations of ritual motivation require evidence and judicial determination rather than assumption.

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The Adamawa case will therefore proceed through the legal process as police investigators pursue evidence relating to the alleged break-in, the missing items and the circumstances surrounding the criminal charm allegation.