Thiès: A 74-year-old marabout accused of using mystical practices to extort money

A suspected charlatan in his sixties ended up at the Nguinth police station, accused of robbing two residents of the neighborhood using mystical schemes and sleight of hand.

The first victim was trapped in July.

The case began in July 2026. O. Gaye, aged 74, claiming to be a marabout and homeless, entered K. Diagne's hair salon. The 30-year-old woman, residing in the Thionakh neighborhood, welcomed the man who simply asked her for a glass of water.

After quenching his thirst, the visitor offered prayers for his benefactress. Then, he performed a startling demonstration: before the hairdresser's very eyes, he miraculously transformed three pieces of paper into a 5 FCFA coin, a 500 FCFA note, and a 10,000 FCFA note. He immediately gave this sum to the young woman to thank her for her hospitality.

According to K. Diagne's explicit statements, receiving this money marked the beginning of a mystical ordeal. The young woman claims to have immediately fallen into a state of total psychological submission, completely deprived of her free will. Under this influence, she went without hesitation to his home to retrieve a gold ring and 170,000 FCFA in cash, which she handed over in full to the suspect. It was only after the old man left that K. Diagne regained her senses and realized she had been the victim of a spell and a scam.

A second modus operandi targeting a shopkeeper in August

A few weeks later, the suspect struck again in the same area. On Saturday, August 22, 2026, O. Gaye went to the shop of S. Ka, a 36-year-old merchant living in Nguinth. This time, the accused asked for food. After receiving a plate of rice from the merchant, the self-proclaimed marabout offered to recite prayers to bring him wealth.

On the suspect's instructions, S. Ka handed him 210,000 FCFA. The marabout placed this money in a small bag, along with a 5 FCFA coin, a 500 FCFA note, and a 10,000 FCFA note. He then placed everything inside a bucket. Before leaving, O. Gaye gave the merchant strict instructions: do not open the bucket for three hours.

Following the recommendation, S. Ka waited and then opened the container. He discovered that the bucket was completely empty. The merchant instantly realized he had been the victim of a scam, according to Seneweb sources.

For several days, a photo of the suspect and an audio recording circulated on social media to alert the population of the city of Thiès against the practices of this individual.

The denouement occurred on September 1, 2026, at 7:20 p.m. K. Diagne, encountering the suspect by chance in an alley in the Nguinth neighborhood, managed to subdue him and take him directly to the local police station. At the same time, S. Ka also went to the police station to file a report and detail the harm he had suffered.

Immediately taken into custody for alleged fraud and quackery, O. Gaye is now being questioned by investigators. The public prosecutor at the Thiès High Court has been informed of the situation, and a judicial inquiry has been officially opened to shed light on this case.