Youths from Mbaaku Mbasombo in Gwer East local government area of Benue State have mobbed two elderly men to death over alleged killing of a young boy through witchcraft.
The victims were said to be the father and uncle of David Terseer Nongobo who died while working on his farm.
According to a native from the community who pleaded not to be named said the incident happened last Friday when youths in the community accused the two elderly people of killing David through witchcraft.
The young David Terseer Nongobo, who recently completed his secondary School was said to be working on his farm when he suddenly slumped and was confirmed dead at the village clinic in Mbaaku Mbasombo where he was rushed to.
The native doctor noted that as soon as the news of his death broke in the village, some youths mobilized themselves to the home of the elderly men; Ugbu and Shaaja, accusing them of killing him 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 stone 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.”
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