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Scores of people fled villages in the Oju district of Benue state, near the border with Cameroon, as word of the killing spread, prompting authorities to impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew. <\/p>\n
"The woman’s two ears were cut off, her hands were chopped off, her stomach was ripped open, her heart removed and her vagina was taken away," said a police spokesman from the state capital Makurdi. <\/p>\n
Two girls who were with the woman also suffered deep machete cuts but survived the attack and are recovering in a local hospital, he added. <\/p>\n
The attack occurred on Aug. 11, but the report reached state police command only on Tuesday because of poor communications. <\/p>\n
Killing for rituals is common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, where many believe witchcraft involving the use of human organs can make them instant millionaires or provide protection. <\/p>\n
Nigeria is nominally divided equally between Christians and Muslims, but many mix these imported faiths with traditional beliefs. <\/p>\n
Sorcerers often use human genitals, eyes, tongues and skulls to make charms. <\/p>\n
In 2004, police discovered 83 decomposing, mutilated corpses in a raid on fetish shrines in a teak forest near Okija town in southeastern Anambra state. About 30 witch-doctors were arrested. <\/p>\n
The former Anambra state governor, Chris Ngige, said he was taken to the forest to take an oath with some political sponsors before assuming office in 2003. <\/p>\n