An Ilorin Magistrates' Court on Wednesday remanded two men, Abdulrasheed Usman and Jamiu Aliu, standing trial for allegedly beheading a 3-year-old girl, Aliya Usman, in prison custody.

The accused are alleged to have conspired together to severe the head of the girl on January 7 in Ita-Ogunbo Area of Ilorin, and dumped the body in a septic tank.

The accused are arraigned on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide, contrary to the provisions of Sections 97 and 221 of the Penal Code.

Division Police Station, Ilorin, by the father of the deceased, Tajudeen Usman.
Police prosecutor Nasiru Yusuf told the court that Usman reported that his daughter was missing on Jan. 7 while playing at the back of their house at Ita-Ogunbo.

Yusuf said that on January 8 the girl's corpse was found badly mutilated at the backyard inside a septic tank. He further told the court that the girl's severed head was found at the father's backyard on January 8, with most of her body parts and organs removed.

Yusuf told the court that one of the accused (Jamiu) was found at the back yard where the severed head of the deceased was dumped.

The prosecutor said that when Jamiu was questioned, he could not give a satisfactory account of himself. He told the court that investigation had yet to be completed and urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody, pending the completion of investigations.