Pipo for Egypt dey in shock and dem dey vex afta dem find one boy wey dey eight years wey dem murder, dem cut off im hands for crime wey prosecutors say dey related to illegal antiquities (relics and monuments) excavation.

Na di pikin papa Issam Abu al-Wafa see im deadibodi for di agricultural land for Assiut Governorate, Upper Egypt, afta im bin miss from home for four days.

Police don arrest di three brothers wey dey connected to di murder.

Two men bin confess say dem commit di crime to sell di pikin hands to pesin wey want di antiquities, di purpose na to help reach one buried ancient Egyptian treasure for one illegal dig. Na wetin public prosecution tok for statement.

‘Only me sitdown dey cry’

Abu al-Wafa, wey dey work as driver, tell BBC Arabic say, "I still remember all my memories wit my son Mohammed. Anytime I sitdown alone, I cry and I no fit bear di situation.

Im dey always wait for me every day wen I return from work."

Abu Al-Wafa tok say “im no expect anytin bad to happun to Mohammed becos all di villagers sabi am well-well.”

“Di news hit me like thunderbolt wen police investigations conclude say di pipo wey kill my pikin na my cousins wey dey always play wit am and even follow me dey search for am”, im add.

Pipo for Social media dey call for punishment and protection

Di crime make pipo para well well ontop social media.

Many dey call for di murderers to get serious punishment, so dat odas go learn lesson from am.

Odas also beg parents to protect dia children well-well by monitoring di pipo wey dey dem mix wit.

Oda incidents

Crimes like dis don happun in recent years for Egypt.

For September 2021, tori fly upandan by official newspapers say dem bin murder and scata di bodi of one young man for di village for Upper Egypt.

According to local reports, im uncle, aunt and cousins confess say na dem kill am and say dem offer im bodi as a sacrifice to one spirit to open one ancient grave.

For 2023, one man bin rape one girl in front of her father for dia home for Giza Governorate.

Di prosecution den refer di man to trial for Giza Criminal Court.

Di man claim say im bin dey follow di orders of one jinn to open one ancient grave under di house.

Dem bin arrest di father and im die for prison. Di man also die months later days bifor dem give sentence.

Fake sheikhs and greed

Sacrificing human lives to search for ancient treasure na crime wey dey familiar to Egypt.

E come from di belief say dem need to open ancient graves for di presence of a “sheikh” to interpret or convert wetin e claim to be pharaonic spells.

Dis alleged sheikhs na men wey claim say dem dey summon one spirit wey dey guard di graves. So to do am, dem dey ask for big sums of moni and blood offering.

While dem dey use di blood of animals most of di time, sometimes, dem claim say human blood dey needed, especially children blood.

Why dis crime dey happun?

Dr. Ahmed Badran, Professor of archeology and ancient Egyptian civilization for Cairo University, believe say dis crimes dey happun, especially for Upper Egypt, becos of di dream to get rich quickly by finding ancient artefacts.

Im tok say those so-called "swindler sheikhs" dey convince pipo say treasure or grave under dia house get “jinn” or spirit wey dey guard am, wey go open di doors of di grave in return for human blood.

“Ancient Egyptians bin dey hide burial places wey contain treasures to protect dem from tiffs, but dem no use jinn or spirit to guard dem”, Dr Badran tok.

Im add say all scientific and archaeological excavations dey happun “without sacrifices or bloodshed."

Im call for "increasing public awareness, strong legal penalties and confronting fake sheikhs. Make media torchlight am."

Antiquities dey protected by law for Egypt

Antiquities dey protected by law for Egypt.

Article 49 of di constitution tok say, "di state dey committed to protecting and preserving antiquities, caring for dia areas, maintaining and restoring dem, recovering wetin dem bin seize from dem, organising and supervising dia excavation, and stopping pipo to use am as gifts or exchange any of dem and attacking and trafficking dem na crime, wey no fall within di statute of limitations."

Article 42 of di Egyptian Penal Code also tok say; "a penalty of imprisonment for a period of no less dan five years and no more dan seven years and a fine of no less dan three thousand pounds and not more dan fifty thousand pounds go dey imposed on anybodi wey: tiff, hide, or participate for any of di effects of a state-owned property."

Some legal experts believe say di punishment no longer dey enough for di crimes associated wit illegal archaeological excavation especially in cases of murder.

However, di Egyptian judiciary don impose stronger penalties applying oda articles of di Penal Code for some cases.


Ancient Egyptians bin hide burial places wey contain treasures to protect dem from tiffs.