Did he kill a magical goat, or his brother?

A murder suspect accused of killing his brother with an ax told investigators he actually attacked a goat, which was only later magically transformed into his sibling's corpse, officials said.

The man, whose name was not released, offered police his explanation after being arrested Tuesday in the death of his brother the previous day at Isseluku village in southern Nigeria.

"He said that the goats were on his farm and he tried to chase them away. When one wouldn't move, he attacked it with an ax. He said it then turned into his brother," Police Commissioner Udom Ekpoudom told The Associated Press.

Murder suspects in Nigeria, where many people believe in black magic, sometimes claim spirits tricked them into killing.