The body of a young woman was found in Twanchit Villag of the Tudun Wada area of the restive city of Jos on Monday, with the eyes and tongue missing.
In what bore the hallmarks of ritual killings, police confirmed the incident but were not able to offer details on who was responsible for the killings.
Residents who woke up to the ugly sight, reporters that the crime took place around 1:00 a.m. and that the victim could not be identified.
They said, however, that the area had a lot of drinking spots that operated late into the night and that the assailants could have hidden under that to carryout the crime.
The body had no visible mark or injury an indication that the assailants had strangled her before plucking out her eyes and tongue.
It was dumped by the riverside was neatly dressed in a blue jean trousers and T-shirt at the time of discovery before security operatives took it away at about 8:45 a.m.
The murder threw Twanchit residents into pensive mood as most of the people who trooped to the scene to see the ugly sight left weeping.
Confirming the incident, Mr Adigun Salau, the Police Public Relations Officer, said the command took notice of the incident but that details were still sketchy.
He said, however, that investigation had commenced.
A resident, Rev. Joseph Bot of the Plateau Peace Movement International, express the shock of the community, saying that the incident made everyone uncomfortable.
He said that the nature of the killing indicated that it was for ritual purposes but said that other factors could be involved.
Bot advised parents, to monitor the movement of their children, especially young ladies, who kept late nights.
“We have a lot of drinking joints in the area. I have a strong feeling that the crises in Jos has given birth to a lot of hatred, poverty and lack of trust among the people.
“I notice that a lot of young ladies stay late in these drinking joints, a trend which is dangerous. I wonder whether they have parents.
“It is unfortunate she has to pay the price, girls should curtail their movements.
“Whatever they cannot do in the daytime they should not use the night time to do it because in Plateau State the times are dangerous.”
“Immediately I saw what happened, I called the SSS while some other persons called the police.
“It is a big trauma, in this area; anytime you come out in the night you see a lot of girls at late hours,” Bot stated.