Authorities in Western Equatoria State are investigating allegations of police brutality after one woman was allegedly killed and another critically injured by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers in Ibba County.
Ibba County Commissioner Wilson Tetela confirmed the incident to Radio Tamazuj, saying the two women were initially arrested over the disappearance of a child in Madebe Payam.
“One of the women went to Madebe and took a child from her relative and after they went to the garden, the child got lost. Both women were arrested and taken to the police station. Later, they were transferred to the CID department,” Tetela explained.
He said he received a distress call informing him that the two women had been severely beaten.
“We were informed that one of the women had died, and the other was in a critical condition. The deceased was buried yesterday,” Tetela added.
Following the incident, the Commissioner ordered the immediate arrest of the officers involved.
“I instructed that all the CID officers and the police linked to the case be detained and taken to Yambio for further investigation,” he said.
Tetela confirmed that two CID and one police officers have so far been arrested in connection with the case.
“The woman who died was around 60 years old. It is unacceptable for someone under government custody to be beaten. We must uphold the law to avoid creating fear among the community,” he emphasized.
Ibba County Paramount Chief Marona Faustino Sako also condemned the incident, identifying the deceased woman as Loice Joice.
“She took a boy from her relatives in Madebe, but after going to the garden, the child got lost. That is why she was arrested,” Sako said.
He expressed shock over the incident, stating that such acts of torture had never occurred before in Madebe.
“This is the first time we are witnessing such brutality. Investigations should be done carefully and in accordance with the law. Torturing suspects is a violation of human rights,” he added.
Sako called on the government to ensure that security forces adhere to legal procedures when handling suspects.
“The government should protect its citizens and ensure that crimes are investigated properly without resorting to violence. This incident shows a failure to follow legal processes,” he said.
A family member of the deceased, Emmanuel Malesh, expressed anger and disappointment over the handling of the case.
“They spent four days in custody before being transferred to the CID department, where they were brutally beaten. Our sister died as a result of that beating,” Malesh said.
He stressed that the family would pursue legal action against the government.
“We are going to open a case after the funeral because the procedure was illegal, and it led to her death. The government should have handled this case properly,” he said.
The incident has sparked outrage, with many calling for accountability and a thorough investigation to prevent future cases of police brutality in the region.