A man is being held in police custody in Chimoio, central Mozambique, after admitting attempting to sever a taxi driver's genitals.

The suspect told officers he posed as a customer to lure the taxi driver to a forest, where together with an accomplice, they assaulted the victim using blunt objects.

The unnamed suspect says he is remorseful and intends to help police to track down his partner who is on the run.

It's not known why the taxi driver was targeted, but bald men have in the past been targeted by people seeking to use their body parts for ritual purposes.