At least five people, including a woman, have been apprehended by the police for the killing of a 50-year-old man identified only as Wagen who was accused of being a wizard in Ikotos, Eastern Equatoria State.
This happened after a bar owner alleged that a suspected wizard used magic to paralyze her leg after she refused to serve him alcohol. Some youths then pounced on the man accused of having evil powers and allegedly linked to previous wicked incidents and beat him up in mob justice, leading to his death on Monday.
Ikotos County Executive Director Tito Abas told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that the five suspects are currently under investigation at Ikotos Police Station as the search for others who participated in the mob justice continues.
“An incident happened on 5 January where a man called Wagen, 50, suspected to be a wizard was beaten by a mob and burned using fire from plastic bottles till he died,” he said. “He was accused of being a witch and the woman who accused him and her family were arrested for killing the man using mob justice. Investigations are ongoing as the search for the other perpetrators continues. Whether the accusations are true or false, people should not take the law into their hands but seek legal means to resolve problems.”
For his part, Ikotos County Inspector of Police Gabriel Arok confirmed the arrests and said the five suspects will be taken to court to face justice.
He said the Police in the area will continue cracking and arresting perpetrators of criminal activities as the search for the remaining individuals continues.
“It is true and five suspects who participated in the mob justice are in prison,” he stated. “The woman who accused the deceased, her husband, and some of those who killed the man are in custody.”
Muras Chacha, an SPLM Party parliamentarian who hails from Ikotos County condemns the mob justice and cautioned communities against taking the law in their hands.
“It is a family and those who suspected the man of being a wizard who are responsible for beating the man. They beat the man and tied him inside their house where he died,” he said. “Their suspicion of the deceased being a wizard is a primitive way of doing things because there is no wizard in the court of law. Such acts are very bad and wrong, and take people backward. In case of any sickness, the patient has to be taken to the hospital for examination instead of believing in witchcraft. Also, people should not take the law into their own hands.”
Last year, three people suspected of being wizards were killed in Chahari and Tsertenya.