Category Archives: death penalty

Nigeria: Delta court sentences man to death for killing twins for rituals

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Warning: The following articles may upset readers because of the graphic contents (webmaster FVDK).

The surge in murders for ritualistic purposes and related witchcraft activities in certain SSA countries has led to an increasing cry for the restoration of the death penalty for convicted ritual killers. In recent years, several African countries have resorted to the (sometimes) re-introduction of capital punishment in an attempt to stop these criminal and outdated traditional practices. In Nigeria a number of states have adopted legislation allowing the sentencing to death of convicted ritual murderers which does not always mean that they are actually executed.

National and international organizations like Amnesty International emphasize that the death penalty breaches human rights including the right to life and the right to live free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Both rights are protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN in 1948. Nigeria is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Please note: the link which leads to the Punch article reproduced below also mentions three other cases of ritualistic killings (‘money rituals’) in Nigeria: two in Anambra State (including a suspected case of ritual killing) and one in Ogun State. Though a coincidence it illustrates well that ‘money rituals’ are rampant in Africa’s most populated country.
(webmaster FVDK)

Nigeria: Delta court sentences man to death for killing twins for rituals

Published: July 16, 2024
By: Matthew Ochei – Punch, Nigeria

A High Court sitting at Asaba, the Delta State capital, has sentenced one Onuwa Ijie to death, and Nwanozie Uzor to 14 years imprisonment for murder and conspiracy to commit the murder of twin boys, Chidalu and Chigozie Agwunobi.

The court presided over by Justice Onome Marshal-Umukoro sentenced two convicts over the murder of the seven-year-old boys.

The prosecution conducted by a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Justice, Mrs Paula Akpoguma, in proof of the case called five witnesses.

The court held that the testimony of the five witnesses proved the case against the two defendants beyond reasonable doubt.

The prosecution stated that tragedy struck the family of Olise Agwunobi of Oko-Ogbele Community on March 5, 2020, when their seven-year-old twin boys were lured by the defendants to a bush and they proceeded to cut off their penis, eyes, tongues and hands which they hurriedly took to a native doctor at Aguleri in Anambra State.

“One of the defendants had earlier gone to the school of the twin children to take them but was turned down by the school teacher, one Mrs Emelda Ezekwude,” she said.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Marshal-Umukoro stated that after carefully evaluating the evidence presented before him, the prosecution had discharged the burden of proof as the first defendant from his confessional statement was the person who sowed the seed of committing human rituals in the mind of the second defendant by giving the phone number of one Chukwudi  Edemuzor who was alleged to be searching for twins to kill for money.

The court maintained that the law is settled that the testimony of an investigating police officer was not hearsay evidence, and the court can rely on it.

Speaking with journalists after the judgment on Tuesday, the prosecuting counsel, Akpoguma thanked the court for upholding the cause of justice, “reaffirming that the judicial system works.”

Source: Delta court sentences man to death for killing twins for rituals

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Court sentences man to death over murder of twins in Delta

Published: July 17, 2024
By: Damilare Famuyima – Pulse, Nigeria

The twins boys were seven years old (Daily Trust)

The suspect and his accomplice were said to have murdered the twin boys for ritual purposes.

Justice Onome Marshal Umukoro of a High Court in Asaba, Delta State Capital, has sentenced Onuwa Ijie to death and his accomplice, Nwanozie Uzor, to 14 years imprisonment for the murder and conspiracy to murder twin boys, Chidalu and Chigozie Agwunobi.

The sentencing came after the court heard the case against the two men for the murder of the seven-year-old boys.

Deputy Director in the Ministry of Justice, Paula Akpoguma, led the prosecution, presenting five witnesses to support the case. 

A sixth witness, 15-year-old Iweka Ajie, the younger brother of one of the defendants, initially agreed to testify via video link but ultimately refused out of fear.

The court determined that the testimony of the five witnesses sufficiently proved the case against the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt. 

According to the prosecution, on March 5, 2020, the family of Olise Agwunobi of Oko-Ogbele Community suffered a tragedy when their seven-year-old twin boys were lured to a bush by the defendants. 

There, the boys were mutilated, and their body parts were taken to a native doctor in Aguleri, Anambra State.

“One of the defendants had earlier attempted to take the children from their school but was turned away by the school teacher, Mrs. Emelda Ogugua Ezekwude,” Akpoguma said.

Justice Onome Marshal-Umukoro, in his judgment, concluded that the prosecution had met the burden of proof.

He noted that the first defendant’s confessional statement indicated that he had introduced the idea of human rituals to the second defendant by providing the phone number of Chukwudi Edemuzor, who was allegedly seeking twins for ritual purposes.

The court held that the testimony of the Investigating Police Officer was admissible and not hearsay.

After the judgment, Akpoguma expressed gratitude to the court for delivering justice, reaffirming her belief in the effectiveness of the judicial system.

Source: Court sentences man to death over murder of twins in Delta

Zimbabwe: public hearing for Death Penalty Abolition Bill

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Reportedly, there are 62 murderers on the death row in Zimbabwe. If the Death Abolition Bill will be passed, their death penalty will be commuted to life in prison.

Among those who will benefit from the proposed abolishment of the death penalty are the two convicted killers of a 7-year old boy, Tapiwa Makore, who was murdered for ritualistic purposes in 2020, a ritual murder which upset the entire nation. The boy was murdered by one of his uncles, Tapiwa Makore (60), and an accomplice, Tafadzwa Shamba (4), who were found guilty of the brutal murder and sentenced to death in 2023.

Last month Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s declared an amnesty by announcing his decision to commute the death sentences of prisoners at Zimbabwe’s maximum prisons to life imprisonment.

The last time that the death penalty was executed in Zimbabwe was in 2005.
(FVDK)

Public hearing dates set for Death Penalty Abolition Bill, week after Mnangagwa “saves” prisoners on roll

Published: May 3, 2024
By: Leopold Muntende

ZIMBABWEANS will, between May 6 and 10, be given an opportunity to share their views on the Death Penalty Abolition Bill in public hearings to be held across the country’s ten provinces.

Although independent of his decision, the hearings follow President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s recent decision to commute the death sentences of prisoners at Zimbabwe’s maximum prisons to life imprisonment in an amnesty announced last month.

According to the government, 62 people were on death row.

In February, Cabinet approved the principles to the Death Penalty Abolition Bill that seek to abolish capital punishment.

Committee on Human Rights have jointly announced a series of public hearings to discuss the death penalty,” said Parliament.

“These hearings aim to engage stakeholders, gather perspectives and guide potential legal reforms regarding three Bills currently before Parliament.”

Although Zimbabwe’s last execution was in 2005, the death sentence has, however, continued to be passed.

The Zimbabwean constitution allows for imposition of the death penalty in cases involving murder committed under aggravating circumstances and only on men between 21 and 70 years of age.

Cabinet’s decision to approve the principles of the Bill provoked discussions online with some arguing capital punishment must be maintained while citing cases such as that of Tapiwa Makore (7) whose head was hacked off by his uncle (Tapiwa Makore Snr) in a ritual killing that shocked the country in 2020.

Human rights organisations such as Amnesty International however declared the move progressive: “Zimbabwe has taken the right step towards ending this abhorrent and inhuman form of punishment that has no place in our world.”

The public hearings will also discuss the Criminal Law Amendment (Protection of Children and Young Persons) Bill “which aims to bring the law on sexual offences against minors into line with the Constitution” and the Administration of Estates Amendment Bill, “which seeks to restructure the office of the Master of the High Court.”

The schedule is copied below;

Team A:

  • Dates: From May 6 to May 10, 2024
  • Locations:

May 6, 2024: Kadoma Rimuka Hall

May 7, 2024: Gweru Mkoba Hall

May 8, 2024: Bulawayo Selborne Hotel

May 9, 2024: Lupane Community Hall

May 10, 2024: Filabusi Avoka

Team B:

  • Locations:

May 6, 2924: Tendai Hall, Bindura

May 7, 2024: Stodart Hall, Mbare

May 8, 2024: Mbuya Nehanda Hall, Marondera

May 9, 2024: Dangamvura Beit Hall

May 10, 2024: Masvingo Civic Center Hall, Masvingo

  • Time: All meetings start at 10:00 AM

Source: Public hearing dates set for Death Penalty Abolition Bill, week after Mnangagwa “saves” prisoners on roll

Zimbabwe: ritual killings rise

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Shocking news from Zimbabwe, as reported by a national news site: ritual murders in the country are on the rise – allegedly.

Whereas the occurrence of ritualistic murders, locally often referred to as ‘muti murders’, is not in doubt – as demonstrated by the numerous cases reported on the present site, you may consult the dropdown menu ‘African countries’ to access all posts on Zimbabwe – it is nevertheless shocking to hear that there is an apparent recent surge in the number of these cruel crimes. As you may know, the organs or body parts ‘needed’ for ‘muti‘ have to be harvested from a living person.

One would think that the Tapiwa Makore murder case and the sentencing to death of his convicted murderers, his uncle and an accomplice, would deter potential perpetrators of muti related murders. According to recent newspaper reports, this is not the case.

A psychotherapist consulted (see the article below) points to mental illness as a significant factor behind these gruesome murders. I’ve often asked myself the same question: What makes someone a ritualistic murderer? Certainly, more research needs to be done as to why people ‘cross a border’ and decide to kill another human being – in a cruel way – as a means to ‘get rich quick’, to have success in business or to gain a certain (often political) position. Is it superstition? Is it a criminal mind? Selfishness? Greed? Or are ritualistic murderers mentally disturbed persons who should be treated for their ‘illness’ in stead of punished – death by hanging or a long prison sentence?

Asking the question means answering it.

Who knows the answer?
(webmaster FVDK)

Zimbabwe: Ritual Killings Rise

Is the capital punishment a deterrent for potential ritualistic killers?

Published: February 3, 2024
By: ZimEye, Zimbabwe

A disturbing trend is sweeping across the nation, as reports of suspected ritual murders are on the rise, leaving communities in shock and children as primary targets of these heinous acts.

The superstitious belief that killing individuals in a specific manner, particularly involving torture and processing certain body parts, can create and maintain wealth is contributing to an alarming increase in brutal killings, leaving many with unanswered questions.

The resurgence of ritual killings has prompted concerns and calls for action from various quarters.

Traditional healer Sekuru Banda, dismissing the superstitions, condemns those who propagate such beliefs, emphasizing the need for hard work instead of seeking easy money through horrific means. Banda urges a change in mindsets, highlighting the dangers of people being led astray in pursuit of illusory wealth.

To gain further insights, a news crew sought the perspective of psychotherapist Dr. Mertha Nyamande, who points to mental illness as a significant factor behind gruesome murders.

Dr. Nyamande explains that many offenders, especially those involved in removing body parts, may suffer from mental ailments or psychopathy, challenging the notion that these acts are rooted in ritualistic beliefs. From a legal standpoint, Mr. Moffat Makuvatsine sheds light on how the law addresses ritual killings.

While there is no specific provision for such crimes, they can be treated as murder committed under aggravating circumstances, potentially carrying the death penalty or life imprisonment.

The legal expert emphasizes that any murder proved to have ulterior motives may result in severe penalties. Recent cases, including the tragic death of Tapiwa Makore, have brought the issue of ritual killings to the forefront.

Tapiwa’s killers, his uncle Tapiwa Senior and Tafadzwa Shamba, were sentenced to death for their involvement in the gruesome crime.

However, the scourge continues, with a recent incident in Guruve involving the brutal murder of a three-year-old, whose body was decapitated and burnt, with missing body parts.

The perpetrators of this heinous act remain at large, underscoring the urgency for a concerted effort from law enforcement and communities to address and eradicate the deeply troubling surge in ritual killings.

As the nation grapples with this distressing epidemic, there is a pressing need for comprehensive strategies that include education, mental health awareness, and stringent legal measures to curb the prevalence of such horrific crimes.

Source: Ritual Killings Rise

A Liberian shares his sad experience with his tribe’s secret society risking the death penalty

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The existence of secret societies in Liberia is no news. It is rare, however, that people openly talk about secret societies. Everyone knows in Liberia that talking ‘too much’ about secret societies, their members or the incidents happening carries the death penalty.

For this reason the following story is interesting. While reading the article one is tempted to take Alexander Tarley’s confession with a grain of salt since his story also raises a number of questions. Moreover, the text is not always clear due to typos or the author’s mastery of the English language. Nonetheless I’ve decided to include his testimony about secret societies and their power in Liberia as it demonstrates the existence and power of traditional beliefs in this West African country, still in the third millennium.

It is not known to which secret society the speaker refers, but he mentions a Putu village named Jarwodee (presumably a village in the Putu Range, in Grand Gedeh) which makes it likely that his family is Krahn.

From other sources we learn more – though not everything – about the village of Jarwodee, the Putu Range (rich in iron ore, unexploited), the Krahn people (highly recommended source of information!) and Grand Gedeh County.

In this remote part of eastern Liberia traditional life and the modern world meet, but many mysteries and secrets including secret societies remain.

Put mountains, Grand Gedeh County, Liberia

As soon as I wil lhave found out more about Alexander Tarley’s story I will report my findings here. For the time being I just want to share his story with you.
(webmaster FVDK)

A Liberian, Alexander Tarley Explains His Sad Story About ‘Secret Society’

Frontpage GNN News Liberia, January 16, 2024

Published: January 16, 2024
By: GNN, Liberia

Since my childhood, my grandfather had always said I will be the head of the secret society in my village putu Jarwodee. My grandfather was the Zoe (head of the secret society) my parents told me to avoid my grandfather whenever him come to Monrovia to visit.

When I asked my parents why my grandfather targeting me not my siblings.my dad told me it’s because I am named after my grandfather (Alexander Tarley) my grandfather would offer come to Monrovia where I grew up to get me. December 15, 2023 my grandfather died. It was a mixed feeling (happy and sad).

I was resolved that I am now safe, on December 19, 2023. The fourth day which is a traditional ritual to bury a high priest on the Fourth day after his deaf. Free from the verbal threats of killing me if I do not comply with my grandfather wish, I was happy that the consistent intimidation and physical harassment from my grandfather was over.

December 17, 2023, my family and I travel from held on Tuesday December 19, at the funeral (grave site) all the women were asked to leave.one of the women walk up to me and told me to leave immediately or else I will be initiated or killed if I refuse, fear grasp me and I came up with a escape plan. i asked the same lady to trick the Zoe’s by asking them to allow me give her water from my vehicle, they agree and allow me to walk to my vehicle.

We urgently got in the vehicle and escape from the grave site. I was terrified when that some people believed were chasing  drove excessively and a man on the bike and I screened help, the bike rider tricked those following us we took off our shirts and  droved to Buchanan.

While in Buchanan, some guys guys broke into my house and took away my money and other important items, my neighbor called my wife and told her that our house was broken into they were calling my name and making terrible statement to killed me two days later January 3, 2023 I left Liberia for Canada

Source: A Liberian, Alexander Tarley Explains His Sad Story About ‘Secret Society’

Language and ethnic groups in Liberia. Source: ‘Liberia: From the Love of Liberty to Paradise Lost‘ by Fred van der Kraaij (African Studies Centre Leiden, 2015) Available in open access.

Yahoo Boys behind increased ritual killings – Plateau State Governor (2022 article)

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As mentioned in my January 4 posting I estimate that no state in Nigeria is spared the evil of ritualistic killings – or ‘money rituals’ as these heinous practices are commonly referred to in Africa’s most populated country.

The article presented below very well illustrates this, even though it dates from 2022. Ritual murders are not only a ‘common crime’ in the south-southern, south-western and south-eastern part of the country – as mentioned in my January 3 posting – but are committed all over the country, hence also in the central part of the country and even the islam dominated states in the north.

Plateau State is the twelfth largest Nigerian state. With an area of 26,899 square kilometres (10,386 sq mi), the state has a population of about three million people. In the past, Plateau State has seen many deadly conflicts between predominantly Christian farmers and Muslim Fulani (Hausa) herders. The most recent violent clash occurred between December 25 and 27 2023 which left at least 200 people dead and more than 500 wounded.

As the following article emphasizes, Plateau State not only suffers from banditry, inter-ethnic violence and terrorist attacks but age-old belief in the power of ritualistic ceremonies and actives including murder also add to the state of insecurity which terrorizes the population.
(webmaster FVDK)

Yahoo Boys behind increased ritual killings – Governor Lalong (Plateau State)

Published: January 10, 2022
By: Chronicle, Nigeria

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state has revealed that the recent cases of ritual killings suspected to be carried out by “Yahoo Boys” will be dealt with by government.

He also vowed to make the state uninhabitable for criminals, kidnappers and others behind criminal activities in the state.

The governor said this at an International Church Service to mark the 2022 Armed Forces Remembrance Day and Emblem Appeal Launch held at St. Finbarrs Catholic Church, Rayfield Jos.

Lalong expressed outrage over the recent cases of ritual killings in Jos as well as kidnappings which have become a source of concern to the Government and citizens.

He said, “I am deeply saddened by the activities of criminals who are trying to disrupt the peace of our State. Of much concern is the recent cases ritual killings which are suspected to be carried out by yahoo boys that security reports indicate are migrating to Plateau.

“Let me warn that we will make Plateau hot for you and ensure that the State vomits you. After so much work we have done to restore peace and security, we will not fold our arms to see criminals take over. I warn you to vacate Plateau because our people want to live in peace. You have no place here”.

Lalong also said that the State has stiff laws against kidnapping and other violent crimes which include death penalty, warning that anyone convicted by a Court of competent jurisdiction will not be spared.

While commending the sacrifices of fallen heroes and veterans who took part in the First and Second World Wars; the Nigerian Civil War; and Peace Support Operations around the globe, Lalong said there are still very many security challenges that the gallant men and women of the Armed forces are still laying down their lives to ensure address.

“Our Armed forces are today battling criminals who have challenged our national sovereignty through terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and many other nefarious activities that are aimed at destabilising our country and dividing the people,” Lalong said.

“We must therefore use this solemn moment to commend them for rising up to the occasion and making sure this does not happen. Despite the fact that the security situation in Nigeria at the moment is not what we desire it to be, we cannot afford to dampen the morale of the gallant officers and men who put their lives on the line daily to make sure that we sleep with our eyes closed.

Lalong noted that, “Without giving them their due recognition and honour, we will discourage not only them, but the younger generation from making similar sacrifices.”

In his sermon, the Parish Priest St. Finbarrs Catholic Church Rayfield and Chaplain, Government House Chapel Rev. Fr. Godfrey Gopep said while Nigerians are celebrating the sacrifices of its fallen heroes, there is need for them to give greater honour to the deceased by living in peace with one another to stopping other standing heroes from falling.

He said peace building cannot be possible without justice, forgiveness, tolerance and unity.

In their remarks, Chairman of the Nigerian Legion Plateau State, GOC 3rd Armoured Division represented by Brigadier General DD Kurmi, Gbong Gwom Jos represented by Agwom Izere HRH Rev. Isaac Wakili, CAN Chairman Plateau State represented by Pastor Elijah Akinwale all called on the people of Plateau State to embrace peace and support the Government in its efforts to restore Plateau State to its rightful place as the Home of Peace and Tourism.

They also called on government at levels to fulfill their obligations to the families of fallen heroes and pay proper attention to the welfare of the serving officers and men in order motivate them to continue to make sacrifices for the unity, peace and progress of Nigeria.

Source: Yahoo Boys behind increased ritual killings – Gov Lalong

Map of Nigeria showing Plateau State among the 36 states of the Federation

Uganda: some reflections on human sacrifice

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Human sacrifice is a widespread phenomenon in Uganda while some specific regions are notoriously known for their ritualistic killings. Yesterday, November 5, I posted an article on the sentencing of a man from Mayunge District who had killed his son for personal gain in 2017, and the day before, on November 4, I posted an article on a mother in the Kiira region who had killed two of her children, also for ritual purposes. These are not isolated cases as the following demonstrates.

Districts of Uganda – Wikipedia

Two witchdoctors in the Kamuli District were arrested earlier this year, suspected of a ritual child sacrifice while in Luwero District on January 7 an 8-year boy was kidnapped from his family’s courtyard and found back without head, fingers and toes. In November 2022 two men from Kayunga District were found guilty of child sacrifice committed in 2009. Within Uganda the Kayunga District has earned the dubious reputation of being one of the most notorious killing places.

Kayunga District shares this reputation with the Kiira region (Wakisi District, Central Region). The most recent ritual murder case in this region is the one reported above but also in August 2022 a man and his wife in Jinja District were arrested for killing their child in a ritual practice. In May 2021 police in Kayunga District had to protect a man from a mob threatening to kill him after he had allegedly killed two of his children for rituals purposes.

In July 2022 a spike was reported in human sacrifices. I’m afraid that the child sacrifice and other ritual murder cases mentioned in this report (see my July 11 posting) and the above mentioned murders are just the tip of the iceberg. After all, it is only logical to assume that not all ritual killing cases are being discovered or reported. An unknown number of children or elderly people, victims of ritualistic practices, may have disappeared without leaving traces.

Since 2021 convicted ritual murderers in Uganda may face the death penalty. In May parliament enacted the Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Bill, 2020, which includes the capital punishment or life imprisonment for any person found guilty of human sacrifice. The bill inspired me to some reflections – see my May 7 posting.

Since the enactment of the bill a number of convicted ritual murderers have been sentenced to heavy sentences and many years in prison, but the ugly phenomenon has not been eradicated. It’s a sad reality.

Death of Death Penalty in Ghana

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Recommended reading for those interested in the pros and cons of the death penalty.
(webmaster FVDK)

Death of the death penalty in Ghana

Published: November 3, 2022
By: Prosper Andre Batinge – Graphic Online, Ghana

For some time now, Ghanaian penal advocates tracking liberal global criminal justice crusaders have been trying to kill the death penalty with only near successes.

The real chance at abolishing the death penalty in Ghana emerged in the case of Dexter Johnson v the Republic [2011] 1 SCGLR 601. But a majority decision of Ghana’s Supreme Court, against the spirited protestations of the minority, especially Justice Samuel Kofi Date-Bah (as he then was), declined and passed the buck to Parliament.

In throwing the ball from the Supreme Court to the chambers of Parliament, then Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah (now the Chief Justice of Ghana) wrote: “I am aware that the death penalty has been abolished in other jurisdictions, especially in the Commonwealth countries.

“I would, like my brother Dotse JSC, advocate statutory intervention like other jurisdictions where they have degrees of murder instead of judicial intervention by way of interpretation.” [Dexter Johnson at 703.]

Bills

Parliament now has a clear chance to abolish the death penalty. The Madina Constituency lawmaker, Mr Francis-Xavier Sosu, is a front advocate of the Death Penalty Bills: The Criminal and Other Offences (Amendment) Act 1960 (Act 29) and the Armed Forces (Amendment) Act 1962 (Act 105).

These Bills seek to amend sections 46, 49, 49a, 180, 194 and 317a of Act 29 and sections 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 40, 78, and 79 of Act 105. The Bills were gazzetted on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.

These Bills seek to abolish the death penalty for ordinary offences, still leaving in the purgatory of the death penalty those convicted of serious crimes like High Treason and Treason.

Cruel

Ghana has not executed anybody convicted and sentenced to the death penalty since 1993. In strict terms and in practice thus Ghana appears not a death penalty state.

But the nation’s trial courts continue to impose the death penalty on persons upon conviction. Some 165 convicted persons were on the death row at the end of 2021; the number is now more than 170.

The death penalty offends the right to life etched in crucial human rights conventions, covenants, and declarations.

The death penalty also offends African customary law. Ubuntu was influential in abolishing the death penalty in South Africa. The South African Constitutional Court in S v Makwanyane held that the death penalty violated the right to human dignity, underscoring that the right to dignity was an integral part of ubuntu.

The death penalty is too cruel and has proven parallel to the values of evolved human sensibilities. The death penalty appears a relic of backward societies of a backward era.

The psychological torture to people on death row is immense. They wait for the never-arriving day of their execution. Some have taken their own lives during this uncertain period of waiting.

As well, the psychological effect of the death penalty on executing officers is no less tormenting. The introduction of so-called mercy killing such as injecting convicts to die peacefully and painlessly has not lessen the cruelty of the practice on both the victim and the killer.

Innocent people – not infrequently – are accused, convicted, and executed for crimes, of which they are not culpable. Fairly recently, Mr Emmanuel Tetteh was released from prison after he was wrongfully sentenced to death for murder. He did 33 years behind bars. At his release, he was 75 years.

The case against abolishing the death sentence, therefore, often makes both theoretical and common sense. But on few occasions, the argument against the death penalty is difficult to advance with clear conscience in a society of persistence instances of ritual murders.

Some of our compatriots believe that they can sacrifice their fellow human beings for money, and they, according to allegations too numerous to ignore, kill others with the hope of attaining wealth.

Some of the victims of ritual murders are young citizens in their prime with full potential of their lives in front of them, promising lives cut painfully short by evil people. It is with pain that I still believe and argue that even a ritual murderer ought not to suffer the death penalty.

Parliament

Writing for the majority in the case of Dexter Johnson supra, Justice Jones Dotse (as he then was) opined that “the time has possibly come for the Parliament of Ghana to seriously consider whether to have a policy shift in the mandatory death penalty regime imposed on those convicted of murder.” {[2011] 1 SCGLR 601 at 702.}

More than a full decade after the Supreme Court’s indication, and after years of campaigns to end the death penalty, Parliament appears willing to kill the death penalty in the case of ordinary crimes.

As Parliament commences a new session of its lawmaking duties last Tuesday, October 25, 2022, it should ensure that the death penalty ends with the end of the Third Meeting of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.

The writer is a lawyer/doctoral fellow at Fordham Law School, N.Y., USA: 
E-mail: pbatinge@fordham.edu

Source: Death of Death Penalty in Ghana

Uganda: why human sacrifices still thrive in Kayunga District

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Many of my postings on this site refer to reported or suspected ritual murder cases in West Africa. However, this phenomenon dating from ancient times also exists in other regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. Superstition and the greed for power, wealth or good health constitute the main driving forces behind the crimes of ritual murder, human sacrifice and/or ritual cannibalism.

In East Africa ritualistic murders are rife in Uganda. As mentioned below, according to the 2013 Child Sacrifice and Mutilations Report, one child is killed for rituals every week. A mind blowing statistic. Within Uganda the Kayunga District has earned the dubious reputation of being one of the most notorious killing places. Read the breath taking article below; the reader is warned as it contains graphic details.

Uganda is one of an increasing number of SSA countries where human sacrifice and ritualistic murders have become crimes which carry the death penalty. Many countries and international initiatives have outlawed the capital punishment, but several African countries take a different course, notably to contain and/or eradicate ritual murders. The big question is whether the death penalty, which is not always executed, will bring us closer to a society where people no longer fear falling victim to ritual killers. Or should we look for another approach the eradicate this scourge of ignorance and superstition?

PS For an interesting plea to abolish the death penalty the reader is invited to read the following article: ‘Death of Death Penalty in Ghana‘ or click here.
(webmaster FVDK)

Why human sacrifices still thrive in Kayunga

A suspect digs up a place where he claimed to have buried a child in Kayunga District last year. PHOTO/FRED MUZAALE

Published: November 11, 2022
By: Fred Muzaale – Monitor, Uganda

What you need to know:

  • Police say most victims of human sacrifices are children because they are easier to abduct and seen as “pure” and of “higher ritual value.”
  • Last year, President Museveni passed the Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Bill 2021, which criminalises the act of human sacrifice.

————————————————————————————————————–

On a hot Monday afternoon at Kayunga Court premises in Kayunga District, Allan Ssembatya walks with his head lowered. 

Visibly not in a good mood, he is in the company of a man and a woman. The two grown-ups are his mother and father.

The 19-year-old Ssembatya’s forehead bares a big scar that he sustained after he was cut with a machete by two men during an attempted ritual murder incident in 2009. He was by then 6 years old.
Fortunately, Ssembatya, now in Senior One, survived, but lost both of his testicles. Because of the cut inflicted on his head, he now has persistent headaches and nightmares.

A resident of Busolo Village in Kayunga Sub-county, Ssembatya spent one month in a coma after the incident.

“Doctors who examined him after the attack said he would not be able to bear children. This is purely a case of human sacrifice,” Ms Sarah Tumusiime, the Kayunga Chief Magistrate, revealed during a court session last month.

She sentenced the convicts; Paul Ngaswireki and Awali Kivumbi, both residents of Busolo Village, who were found guilty of committing the offence, to 40 years each in prison.

According to Ssembatya’s father, his son was attacked by the two men when he had gone to the garden to harvest a jackfruit. He was later left fighting for his life in a forest.

Ssembatya’s case is the latest among such incidents, but Kayunga District has had numerous human sacrifice-related incidents.

In March 2020, a 60-year-old man in Kakoola Village, Kitimbwa Sub-county, was beheaded and his head taken by unknown assailants.

The torso was later recovered from a bush. Two witch doctors were arrested in connection with this incident although the whereabouts of the human skull is still unknown.

Additionally, a traditional healer in Kisoga Village, Nazigo Sub-county, was arrested in 2018 after five bodies were found buried in his shrine. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by Mukono High Court.

Last year, a father in Bbaale Sub-county was arrested after he allegedly killed two of his children over ritual sacrifice. He confessed to the act claiming he was promised Shs2m.

Ms Beatrice Ajwang, the Kayunga District officer-in-charge of the Criminal Investigations Department, said most of the suspects arrested in connection with such acts are “traditional healers and people who want to get rich quickly”.

Ms Ajwang said most victims of human sacrifices are children, apparently because they are easier to abduct and seen as “pure” and of “higher ritual value.”

Without disclosing statistical figures of how many cases of human sacrifice had been recorded in the district, Ms Ajwang confirms that “Kayunga is a hotbed of ritual sacrifice”.

She said out of more than 300 traditional healers operating in the district, their preliminary investigations reveal that half of the number are quacks.

“Kayunga is a unique area, you will find many households having shrines on top of being multi-ethnic. This could be a major contributor to these acts,” Kayunga chairperson Andrew Muwonge said.

Ms Ajwang said despite enacting laws to crack down on those engaging in human sacrifices, the practice has continued.

The law
Last year, President Museveni passed  the Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Bill 2021, which criminalises the act of human sacrifice.

The legislation was moved as a private member’s Bill by former Ayivu County legislator Bernard Atiku with the intent of addressing the growing vice of human sacrifice.

According to the new law, any person who mutilates or causes the death of another person for the purpose of performing or furthering a ritual commits an offence and will be punished by the death penalty upon conviction.

“Worse still, it is a big challenge investigating human sacrifice cases because on some occasions it is carried out by parents themselves on their children while in some other cases people are not willing to give information that could be of help to arrest and prosecute offenders,” Ms Ajwanga said, adding: “We appeal to religious leaders to help us instill morals in our people. As police, we have tried to sensitise them against this vice.’’

Ms Sylvia Namutebi, aka Maama Fiina, the national chairperson of Uganda Traditional Healer’s Association, dismisses claims that the acts are committed by people who practice her trade.

“No genuine traditional healer can sacrifice a human being. These are masqueraders hiding in our job. It is our duty to ensure we [genuine healers] weed out such bad people,” Ms Namutebi said.

She said with the help of genuine healers, they have arrested and prosecuted such ‘wrong elements’, noting that she is on a country-wide tour to sensitise traditional healers on professional ethics.

Mr Peter Mawerere, the Kayunga deputy Resident District Commissioner, blamed the vice on ignorance, greed, and poverty. He noted that many people sacrifice human beings because they think it will make them wealthier.

“It is surprising that many people go to traditional healers when they fall sick, even when their ailments can be treated by qualified medical personnel,” he said.

“We have tasked the leadership of traditional healers to fight the acts, which we highly believe are perpetuated by some of their members,” he added.

Rev Fr Maurice Kigoye, the parish priest of Kangulumira Parish in Kangulumira Sub-county,  said: “It [human sacrifice] is really an inhuman act. How can you think that when you kill a person and drink their blood, you can get rich? As religious leaders, we have tried to lure them [culprits] to turn to God and get saved,” Fr Kigoye said.

NGO role
Mr Peter Sewakiryanga, the executive director of Kyampisi Child Care Ministries (KCM), said his organisation receives a number of human sacrifice cases from Kayunga District every month.

“We work with probation officers, police, and other agencies who bring to our attention such cases,” he said.

Mr Sewakiryanga added that in a bid to ensure the culprits are arrested and prosecuted, his organisation facilitates investigations carried out by police officers.

“Many such cases die at the investigation stage, but with our support, a number of the suspects have been prosecuted and convicted like the recent one of Ssembatya. Court sentenced the convicts to 40 years each in jail,” he said.

He explains that KCM also offers treatment, counselling, and psychosocial support to survivors of ritual sacrifice.

“We have in some cases relocated families of the victims for their safety, built them houses and offered education to survivors,” Mr Sewakiryanga said.

2013 report

According to the 2013 Child Sacrifice and Mutilations Report, one child is killed for rituals every week.

The report indicates that people carry out human sacrifices to seek wealth, among others. 

Source: Why human sacrifices still thrive in Kayunga

Ghana: Invoke death penalty as punishment for ritual killers — PNC

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In many African countries the capital punishment has been abolished, yet in a number of countries people start pressurizing their governments to re-introduce the death penalty notably for convicted ritual murderers.

Consequently, in Malawi and other Southern African countries (Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe) as well as in East Africa (Uganda), in West Africa (Nigeria) and in Central Africa (Equatorial Guinea) the death penalty is no longer a taboo or has been already legalized.

In the aftermath of an increasing number of shocking ritual murders it is now Ghana’s turn. Recently, the People’s National Convention (PNC) called on the government to reintroduce the death penalty for convicted ritual murderers. (webmaster FVDK).

Invoke death penalty as punishment for ritual killers — PNC

Published: October 2, 2022
By: Modern Ghana

Source: Invoke death penalty as punishment for ritual killers — PNC

Uganda: two witchdoctors arrested over child sacrifice in Mbale

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Perpetrators of human sacrifices in Uganda face severe punishments including the death penalty when found guilty of ritual murder. This does not scare certain individuals to engage in this cruel, gruesome and criminal practice, as the article below demonstrates. (webmaster FVDK).

The Daily Monitor and Daily Monitor Yahudu Kitunzi are to be commended for paying attention to this news.

Two witchdoctors arrested over child sacrifice in Mbale

One of the suspects who confessed to the ritual murder sits on a police truck after leading detectives to the crime scene in Sisye Cell, Namatala Ward in Mbale City on September 1, 2022. PHOTO/YAHUDU KITUNZI

Published: September 1, 2022
By: Yahudu Kitunzi, reporter Daily Monitor

What you need to know:

  • A detained suspect who led police to the crime scene on Thursday morning told detectives that “they killed the child for sacrifice.”

Police in Mbale City have arrested two witchdoctors who confessed involvement in the sacrifice of a five-year old boy who disappeared three weeks ago.

One of the two suspects leads police to the crime scene in Sisye Cell, Namatala Ward in Mbale City on September 1, 2022. PHOTO/YAHUDU KITUNZI

With some parts missing, the body of Rajibu Nasamba was Wednesday evening found buried in a sugarcane plantation along Kabwagasi Road in Namatala Ward, Northern Mbale City Division.

“The deceased disappeared and his parents reported the case of disappearance to police. We have arrested two suspects to help with investigations,” Elgon region Police Spokesperson, Mr Rogers Taitika confirmed.

He identified the suspects as Jamadah Isiko and Ibrahim Isiko, who are brothers and residents of Kiduda Cell in Namatala Ward in Mbale Industrial City Division.

Detained Isiko who led police to the crime scene on Thursday morning told detectives that “they killed the child for sacrifice.”

 “It’s my brother who beheaded the boy and brought the body in the sugar cane for traditional rituals,” he said.

A police detective at the crime scene in Sisye Cell, Namatala Ward in Mbale City on September 1, 2022. PHOTO/YAHUDU KITUNZI

Preliminary police investigations indicate that the duo are also connected to the alleged sacrifice of a son to Mr Lukman Musamba.

Namatala ward resident Musamba said his son disappeared from home under unclear circumstances.

“I reported the disappearance of my son at Namatala police stations and I also placed radio announcements but in vain,” Mr Musamba, said.

Ms Mariam Mwiza, the Anti Human trafficking Activist, asked police to take the cases serious.

“The suspects shouldn’t be given a bond and thorough investigations should be conducted by police,” Ms Mwiza emphasized.

Mr Taitika disclosed that the suspects currently detained at Mbale central police station will be prosecuted but also cautioned parents to protect their children.

Human sacrifice in Uganda attracts severe punishments that may include life in jail or death.

Source: Two witchdoctors arrested over child sacrifice in Mbale