Two brothers killed in Benue community over alleged witchcraft

Two elderly men have been lynched to death over alleged killing of a young boy through witchcraft at Mbaaku Mbasombo in Gwer East local government area of Benue State .

The victims  includes the father and uncle of young David Terseer Nongobo who reportedly died while working on his farm.

A source from the community who pleaded anonymity said “the incident happened last Friday when youths in the community accused the elderly men of killing David through witchcraft, and that was how they started beating and cutting the two elderly men with cutlasses and axes.

“They even tied a rope around their necks and dragged them until they died. The accused deceased were screaming in their Tiv dialect that they don’t have a hand in the young man’s death but the mob didn’t listen to them.

“Despite intervention and plea from family members of the tortured victims including their children the youths resisted and they ensured that the elderly men were dead.”

Confirming the report, the Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, a Superintendent of Police,  said the suspects are currently on the run.

She said: “That incident is confirmed. Suspects are on the run. The boy died mysteriously on the farm so some youths said it was his father and the uncle that killed him through witchcraft. They now beat up those two men until they died alleging that they killed the boy through witchcraft.

“It has become an issue in Benue State that they need to be enlightened. In the villages, those things happen and we have been talking to them and charging so many to court.

“In fact, I’m trying to do a programme about that on radio and television so that they will get to know more that there is room for investigating such cases and establishing the cause of death not for them to just assume that it’s witchcraft.

“There are lots of factors which could lead to deaths; we have such cases (witchcraft allegations) parading in court.” She added.