Two elderly men were killed by a mob at Gwer East, Benue State on Wednesday after they were accused of witchcraft by villagers. Kwaghange Ugbu and Atuur Shaaja were killed on September 28 after villagers accused them of killing a 25 years old man. This is coming less than two months when some youths, in August, attacked an alleged witch in Shangev Tiev, in Konshisha LGA of the state.
According to local sources, on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, David Terseer Nongobo, 25, a native of Mbaaku Mbasombo Gwer East LGA of Benue who recently completed his secondary education, slumped while working on the farm. He was later confirmed dead at a local hospital.
“In reaction to his death, some members of the community stormed the house of his uncles, Kwaghange Ugbu and Atuur Shaaja. They accused them of killing David Terseer through witchcraft. They beat and cut them with cutlasses and axes. They tied a rope around their neck and dragged them until they died”. Said the source.
The police and local authorities are yet to comment on the issue.
Reacting to the incident, Advocacy For Alleged Witches (AFAW), an NGO that campaigns to defend the human rights and dignity of alleged witches in African countries, has called on the Commissioner of Police and the Benue state government to arrest and prosecute the suspects and ensure that justice is done. “They should send a strong message that jungle justice will not be tolerated in Benue and that those who engage in trial by ordeal and extrajudicial killings of alleged witches will answer for their crimes,” said Dr. Leo Igwe, the National Coordinator of the group. The group also called on the National Human Rights Commission, the International Federation of Women Lawyers, and the social welfare department to liaise and support the families of victims
