Reports of ritualistic murder are rare in Senegal, but this doesn’t mean that this ugly practice does not exist in this West African, predominantly Muslim country. Moreover, reportedly there seems to be a relation between unexplained disappearances notably of small children, ritualistic murders and elections – see e.g. my May 12, 2018 post ‘Archbishop condemns ritual killing of children in Senegal‘.
A 5-year old girl in the Kanda Fodé Bayo neighborhood of Kahone, in the Kaolack region, was found brutally murdered – the poor girl was beheaded – and suspicion arose quickly that the suspected perpetrator had committed the crime for ritualistic purposes.
Read the full story below.
Warning: This article contains graphic details of murder that some readers may find distressing
(webmaster FVDK)
Girl decapitated: investigators favor the ritual murder theory
Published: February 21, 2026
By: Senewebnews-RP
The investigation into the brutal murder of a 5-year-old girl in the Kanda Fodé Bayo neighborhood of Kahone, in the Kaolack region, is progressing. The suspect, L. Sall (30 years old), who has been staying with the victim’s family for the past two weeks, is still being questioned by investigators. According to information obtained by Libération, his custody is expected to be extended until Monday to allow the Kaolack gendarmerie to fully understand the circumstances of this extremely violent act.
A chilling modus operandi
On the night of February 17-18, Libération recounts, the suspect abducted the little girl while she slept alongside her sisters. He took her to a construction site 200 meters from their home before committing the act. After removing the child’s earrings and protective charm, he undressed her and then coldly decapitated her. The murderer then attempted to open the victim’s ribcage to extract her heart, a gruesome detail that reinforces the theory of a ritualistic crime, according to the same source.
The suspect’s contradictory accounts
When questioned by investigators, Lamine Sall offered several conflicting accounts. As reported by the newspaper, he initially claimed the attack was an act of revenge stemming from a dispute with the girl’s parents, a theory categorically denied by those close to him. He then asserted that he acted in a fit of rage, thinking of a former partner living in Dakar who shared the same first name as the victim. Finally, cornered, he went so far as to blame his own father, accusing him of failing to provide him with a “proper upbringing.”
The ritual crime theory is being given priority.
Several clues rule out the theory of dementia or an uncontrolled impulse. “Lamine Sall was completely lucid at the time of his act.” Furthermore, the observed absence of sexual abuse definitively points the investigation toward a mystical or sacrificial motive, supported by the removal of ritual objects (gris-gris) before the killing, the newspaper reports.
Auteur: SenewebNews-RP
Publié le: Samedi 21 Février 2026
Source: Girl decapitated: investigators favor the ritual murder theory
More:
Girl beheaded in Kahone: the murder weapon bought for 1500 FCFA and the promise of the “Djinn”
Published: February 25, 2026
By: SenewebNews-RP
L. Sall, 30, is now the subject of a judicial investigation for kidnapping, murder, and acts of barbarity in the case of 5-year-old D. Sow, who was beheaded in Kahone. According to Libération, which broke the story, the investigation conducted by the Kaolack territorial brigade revealed a chilling premeditation. As reported by the newspaper, the accused admitted to buying the murder weapon, a knife, the day before the crime at the Kaolack market for 1,500 CFA francs. He then abducted the girl from his own uncle’s home and slit her throat in an isolated building.
The ritual crime theory is being given priority.
Several elements are leading investigators toward this theory, the newspaper reports. The accused claims that a djinn promised him wealth and marriage in a dream if he sacrificed the little girl. He also admitted to recently visiting a marabout (a Muslim religious leader) to seek prayers to find a wife. Furthermore, the day before the tragedy, he was seen by the victim’s mother at the crime scene “talking at length on the phone.” Sall claims to have discussed agriculture “with a relative living in Vélin-gara,” but this has not convinced investigators.
A profile of a violent repeat offender
The investigation also shed light on the suspect’s dark past. Before taking refuge in Kahone, he lived in Dakar (Bène Baraque) where he had attempted to rape his neighbor, D. Sall. After failing, he stabbed her while she was performing her ablutions for dawn prayer, before fleeing to escape mob justice, the same source added.
Auteur: Senewebnews-RP
Publié le: Mercredi 25 Février 2026
Source: Girl beheaded in Kahone: the murder weapon bought for 1500 FCFA and the promise of the “Djinn”
