Two elderly men, identified as Ugbu and Shaaja, were killed by youths from Mbaaku Mbasombo in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State after being accused of killing a boy, David Terseer Nongobo, through witchcraft.
The deceased victims were said to be late David’s father and uncle.
He was said to have died while working in his farm.
An indigene of the community where the incident occurred on Friday, September 30, 2022, said that the community youths accused the two elderly people of killing David through witchcraft.
David, who recently completed his secondary school education, was said to be working on his farm when he suddenly slumped and was confirmed dead when he was rushed to the village clinic at Mbaaku Mbasombo.
The native said that as soon as the news of the death of the boy broke in the village, some youths mobilised themselves and went to Ugbu and Shaaja, accusing them of killing David through witchcraft.
“They started beating the two elderly men, using cutlasses and axes to inflict cuts on them.
“After this, they tied ropes round their necks and dragged them until they died. As they were going through the torture, the two elderly men were pleading their innocence, crying and shouting in their Tiv dialect. However, the youths turned deaf ears to their cries,” the indigene who craved anonymity said.
He disclosed further that the youths also ignored pleas from family members and ensured the death of the two men before their anger was assuaged.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, who confirmed the incident, said that the suspects had gone into hiding.
She said: “That incident is confirmed. Suspects are on the run. The boy died mysteriously in the farm, so some youths said it was his father and the uncle that killed him through witchcraft. They 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 charged 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.”
