Leaders in the defunct Gogrial State in Warrap have attributed the increased number of killings, especially Gogrial West County, to excessive drinking and alcohol abuse by locals.
They say ninety percent of the murder cases which occurred in the last two weeks happened at drinking places or after consumption.
Albino Akol Thony, the former secretary-general of the now-defunct Gogrial state said, “All these killings happened differently at different places and at different times, the first happened at Alek. People were drinking and one went and drunk and came and quarreled with his wife and speared her to death.”
“The second case was in the former Kuac East County and it is also connected to alcohol. A guy killed a woman although the woman is not his wife, the wife of a relative. The man has a mental problem. They differed with the woman and fought. In the process, the woman was killed,” Akol Thony added. “On Thursday in Ngap Athian, it was also linked to drinking. People drank and fought and one of them speared the other to death in former Gogrial East.”
Akol Thony said in another murder case in Angouth two men were fighting and another tried to stop the fight using a gun but ended up shooting and killing one of them. He added that in yet another murder case in Aloklok, two drunk SSPDF soldiers fought and it ended with one of them being shot in the head and is currently admitted to hospital in a critical condition.
“All these five cases happened in the last two weeks and all these cases, ninety percent, are linked to drinking alcohol,” Akol Thony said.
He said he has directed county executive directors to reduce alcohol consumption in their respective counties and ensure that all the killers have been arrested.
Dhel Wol, the executive director of former Ngap Athian County says alcohol is making local people unruly and suggests a ban on alcohol.
“If I have the power I will say we should avoid what is called alcohol in our area. It can be better, let me try to tell our community that we don’t need alcohol in our area.” Wol said.
One person was killed at Ngath Athian County last Tuesday after drinking according to Wol and that the killer has been arrested.
“We collected 31 cattle for blood compensation. If the relatives of the deceased want to proceed to court they will be free to do so.” Wol said.