Liberia, Aug. 15 -- Mobrovia-"I was hired to kill you," was the alleged warning that turned fear into cash, that later landed 61-year-old Saah Fayiah Jr., alias Alahaji Bamba, in prison.

Liberian police say Fayiah allegedly posed as a traditional herbalist and convinced a woman, Pauline S. Zaza, a resident of Lower Margibi County, that her life was in immediate danger, before allegedly collecting US$7,200 from her through a series of demands for spiritual sacrifices.

According to a police charge sheet dated August 13, Fayiah allegedly told Madan Zaza that an unidentified man had paid him US$5,000 to kill her.

Police say Fayiah further claimed Zaza had only three days to live.

The alleged threat set in motion what investigators describ...