Law enforcement officers as well as the High Court Judge are to be commended for the bringing to justice of a father who brutally killed his own son believing that would bring him wealth. Greed and superstition were the ingredients for a repulsive act. Hopefully the 52-year prison sentence for the convicted murderer will act as a deterrent for others who might be tempted to engage in this practice of child sacrifice for personal gains.
Warning: the following article contains graphic details of a cruel crime which may upset some readers (webmaster FVDK).
Father jailed 52 years for son’s ritual sacrifice, witch doctor set free
The accused persons arrive at court. COURTESY PHOTO/URN
Published: November 1, 2023 By: Michael Wandati – DISPATCH, Uganda’s News Monthly
Iganga, Uganda | In a significant legal ruling, High Court Judge, Justice David Batema, has handed down a verdict resulting in a 52-year prison sentence for Hassan Kafudde, a father convicted of the murder of his son in a ritual sacrifice. The case also involved lengthy sentences for one accomplice, while the witch doctor implicated in the case, who had spent six years in remand, was released.
The proceedings unfolded within the High Court of Uganda Circuit located in Iganga. The prosecution’s case contended that Kafudde sacrificed his son in a ritual murder with the belief that it would bring him wealth.
According to the prosecution’s account, on the 6th of June 2017, the convicted individuals, situated in Musita village within the Mayuge District, gruesomely beheaded and mutilated a child known as MJ in a ritualistic act.
Earlier in the legal proceedings, one of the accused, Issa Muyita, entered a guilty plea, reached a plea bargain agreement, and offered to testify as a prosecution witness. Consequently, he received a 25-year prison sentence. The trial continued against Kafudde and Kabaale Mubaraka, both of whom pleaded not guilty.
During the trial, Muyita confessed that he had accompanied Kafudde from Musita trading center to a sugarcane plantation, where Kafudde presented his son MJ. The child was tragically murdered in the sugarcane plantation near a stream. Kafudde collected the child’s blood in a polythene bag and transported the severed body parts in a bag. Additionally, he dug a shallow grave to bury the decapitated remains of the sacrificed child.
As a result, Kafudde was found guilty of the ritual murder of the child MJ and convicted as charged. It was subsequently established in court that Mubaraka did not actively participate in the commission of the offense.
However, the court determined that Mubaraka, identified as a witch doctor with shrines in Musita village, had been informed of the criminal act by Hassan Kafudde. Mubaraka subsequently went into hiding after the incident and was subsequently found guilty of being an accessory to the murder, as per section 394 of the Penal Code Act.
At the conclusion of the trial, Justice Batema, presiding over the High Court of Uganda Circuit in Iganga, convicted and sentenced the accomplices, Muyita, Kafudde, and Mubaraka, on the charge of trafficking in persons, in violation of section 4(a) and 5(c) of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act. Hassan Kafudde was sentenced to 52 years in prison, while Mubaraka received a 3-year prison term.
In his judgment, Justice Batema strongly denounced the heinous practice of ritual child sacrifice, the dismemberment of children, and the illegal trade in body parts, emphasizing the gravity of such offenses.
Justice Batema justified the lengthy custodial sentence for Kafudde by pointing to his lack of remorse throughout the court proceedings and his failure to demonstrate regret for the crime. Accordingly, Kafudde was sentenced to spend 52 years in Kirinya prisons, which includes the six years spent in pretrial detention.
The judge found Kabaale Mubaraka guilty of being an accessory to the crime but observed hesitancy on his part to report the incident to the police. Consequently, Mubaraka was sentenced to three years in prison, but given his prior six-year remand period, he was ordered to be immediately released.
Jacqueline Okui, the spokesperson for the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), commended the court for its landmark judgment, asserting that it will serve as a deterrent to individuals involved in such criminal acts.
Okui further challenged parents to take a proactive role in safeguarding their children’s well-being, emphasizing that engaging in child rights abuses such as ritual murders, whether directly or indirectly, would result in significant custodial sentences.
The investigation of this case was led by Aliwali Kizito, Chief State Attorney, with the prosecution being conducted by Racheal Bikhole, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions and Head of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Division, along with Nyanzi Gladys, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Biira Peace, Chief State Attorney, and Arap Malinga, a Senior State Attorney within the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
It is one of Zimbabwe’s most notorious ritual murder cases. The violent death of 7-year old Tapiwa Makore upset the Zimbabwean nation since it occurred in 2020.
Tapiwa Makore was a 7-year-old boy from Makore Village under Chief Mangwende in Murewa District, Mashonaland East Province who was brutally murdered for ritualistic purposes on 17 September 2020.
Much has been said and published about this ritual murder case, also on this site. I will not repeat the background. Interested readers can find all information by using the dropdown menu of the present site, chose the country ‘Zimbabwe’ and search for ‘Tapiwa Makore’. (FVDK).
Warning: the graphic contents of some articles may upset readers (webmaster FVDK).
‘Justice delayed is justice denied’ but: the High Court in Polokwane will continue the trial of four businessmen and a woman who are suspected of killing Ronnie Makgatho for ritual purposes in 2006.
An amazing aspect of this murder case is that there is no dead body. The body of the victim, Ronnie Makgatho, was never found. Therefor it is to be seen if this trial wil end in a guilty verdict. How can you find someone guilty of murder when there’s no dead body?
Two of the five accused share the family name of the victim, Ronnie Makgatho. It is not uncommon that relatives are involved in ritualistic murders.
The first article presented below is silent on the background of the murder and also lacks many details. However, it seems obvious that this is a case of ‘muti’ murder, a ritualistic murder, based on superstition and motivated by greed.
The second article, published by Polokwane Weekly and shared on Facebook, contains more information. Warning: Some readers may find this story disturbing because of its explicit graphic content (webmaster FVDK).
Limpopo courts to hear several cases this week
High Court in Polokwane, Limpopo – Image: Twitter@SECTION27news
Several high-profile criminal cases will be heard in the High Court in Polokwane and other courts in Limpopo, starting from Monday.
(….)
(….)
Ritual killing
Another trial of four businessmen and a woman arrested for allegedly killing Ronnie Makgatho in 2006 will continue in the High Court in Polokwane.
The accused, Marcus Makgatho, Joshua Hlako, Hlako Mohafe, Khumbelo Mabirimisa and co-accused Amanda Makgatho allegedly killed Makgatho for ritual purposes.
Makgatho was reported missing in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria.
More background information pertaining to this case:
EXCLUSIVE | HOW RONNY MAKGATHO WAS MURDERED
WARNING: NOT FOR SENSITIVE READERS
Published: May 12, 2022 By: Polokwane Weekly / Facebook
SESHEGO: A state witness in the murder case of Ronny Makgatho has detailed a chilling confession of the victim was killed.
The witness was testifying at the Seshego Magistrate’s Court during a bail application of the murder accused on Wednesday.
According to the witness, Marcus Makgatho traveled to Soshanguve Extension 4 where the victim was staying.
The witness says that Amanda Makgato alongside their accomplices forced the victim into the car and drove from Soshanguve to Seshego, where he was locked up in a shack.
The state witness said that Hlako and Makgato were both holding Ronnie Makgato’s hands and legs before he was brutally murdered for alleged business related rituals.
The witness has also told the court that the accused number 4 Khumbelo Mabirimisa was also present with an unknown woman.
He also told the court that the accused indicated that it was time to start with the job, before beginning with the murder process.
The witness said that Hlako said the victim should die a slow death when they were cutting him with a knife, so that they can get a lot of his blood. The witness also said that there were a bucket that was used to collect his blood.
The state witness also told the court that Ronnie Makgato’s body parts were cut by the accused.
The head was taken to Hlako’s Tarven, hands were taken to Makgato’s lodge. Other body parts were also taken to Hlako’s farm.
The court also heard that after taking the body parts of the victim to the accused’s businesses, the remaining part was buried at the same house.
The murder accused were all denied bail on Wednesday.
Screenshot – excerpt from original article. Read the full article here
and:
‘Muthi’ killing, shallow grave, relative bust
It has emerged that Ronald Makgato, who went missing in 2006, was killed for muthi-related purpose.
Published: April 19, 2022 By: Daily Sun
THE Makgato family was left shocked when a family member and his friend were arrested on Wednesday, 13 April.
They were bust by Seshego cops in Limpopo for the kidnapping and murder of Ronald Makgato, who went missing 16 years ago.
Ronald (27) from Mamehlabe Village, Ga-Matlala disappeared in 2006 while staying in Soshanguve, Tshwane.
A witness tipped off his family and the police in 2020.
It’s believed that one of Ronald’s relatives and his friend allegedly killed the victim for muthi purposes, and they apparently buried his body in a shallow grave.
Ronald’s sister, Granny Makgato-Leboho, said it has been hard for the family not knowing their brother’s whereabouts. “When the police arrested my relative and his friend, we knew we were close to getting the truth about what happened to my brother.”
She said the witness told them that Ronald was given a drug before he was taken to Zone 4 in Seshego, where he was murdered.
“We were told he was dismembered and his body parts were taken for muthi purposes. It’s so painful that my own relative saw it fit to kill his own for his evil intentions.”
Limpopo police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mamphaswa Seabi confirmed that two suspects, both aged 64, were bust and charged with kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder and murder.
“They briefly appeared in the Seshego Magistrates Court last Thursday, and their matter was postponed to 28 April for formal bail application while the police investigations continues. The body of Ronald has not yet been recovered,” Seabi said.
Warning: The following article contains graphic details of a violent criminal act.
At first sight one is tempted to think of yet another case of ritual murder in Liberia, as the article reads: ‘(…) the mutilated body of little Saah Momo was discovered in the home of his grandfather in Bomi County.’ It occurred early this year, in January.
It is known that in a large number of ritual murder cases relatives are involved – as traditionally this is part of the ritual to create or obtain ‘juju’, the spiritual power which perpetrators seek to increase their wealth, power or social prestige. However, it is not plainly stated by the police and in the article – as it is often the case – that this is about a ritual killing. In Liberia, police and journalists don’t mince their words when reporting on ritual murder cases.
The Liberian National Police arrested six persons in connection with the violent death of the 2-year old boy, Saah Momo, including the mother and an uncle of the victim. The deceased’s uncle testified in court that he had murdered his nephew upon the order of the child’s mother. Allegedly, she was motivated to have her son murdered for financial gains: she wanted to sell his organs. It has not been revealed with whom the suspects wished to trade body parts with.
Was the violent death of little Saah Momo a case of organ trafficking or another case of ritualistic murder?
Some countries in the region, e.g. Nigeria, are notorious for murders committed by criminals who wish to harvest human organs in order to sell them – albeit for ritualistic purposes to superstitious people who believe that in this way, with ‘juju’, they can increase their wealth, success in business or in politics. These murders in Nigeria and Ghana are often committed by so-called Yahoo Boys and the criminal acts are locally known as ‘money rituals’.
In Liberia, murder cases for purposes of organ trafficking are far less widespread but since – by definition – these dark activities take place in secret, we don’t know on what scale they happen.
In short, the article is not clear whether the murder of little Saah Momo was a case of ritualistic murder or of organ trafficking. However, in both cases there is a clear ritualistic component as organ trafficking is not carried out with the purpose of organ transplantation, aiming to improve a patient’s health, but to sell organs to superstitious people and ‘juju’ men who wish to use human body parts for ritualistic purposes. (webmaster FVDK)
The convicts along with some relatives
Liberia: Two Convicted for butchering a 2-year-old boy in Bomi County
Published: May 23, 2023 By: Rachel T. Saykiamien – The Daily Observer, Liberia
Jurors at the 11th Judicial Circuit Court in Bomi County have brought down a unanimous guilty verdict against two men who brutally murdered a two-year-old boy, Saah Momo, in Zealey, Dowein District, Bomi County.
The verdict followed a final argument in court by both prosecution and defense lawyers on May 23, 2023.
Defendants Momo Gray, the uncle of the deceased child, and his brother and father of the child,, Siafa Gray, were found guilty of murder; a first-degree felony under the law. In February of this year, the two were indicted by the grand jury of Bomi County for their involvement in the murder of Saah Momo.
On May 10, Momo Gray, the accused uncle of the two-year-boy, pleaded guilty to the crime of murder after his appearance at the 11th Judicial Circuit Court, while the father of the boy, Siaffa Gray, pleaded not guilty.
From the beginning, several individuals, including the mother and grandparents, were arrested but released after it was established that they had no hand in the act. However, the uncle and father, who played a major role in butchering the boy, were charged and tried in court.
On May 23, 2023, defendants Momo Gray and Siafa Gray were found guilty of murder; a crime that contravenes Chapter 14 Subchapter 14.1 of the penal code law of Liberia. Under the law, a person who is convicted of such a crime may be sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
A pre- sentencing hearing is expected to take place before the defendants are convicted.
Judge T. Ciapha Carey has ordered the clerk of the court to inform the probation officer of the Ministry of Justice to investigate the lives of the defendant’s prior to the incident. This is done to ascertain if the defendants were law abiding citizens or had stayed out of trouble prior to the crime.
In January, the mutilated body of little Saah Momo was discovered in the home of his grandfather in Bomi County. The Liberia National Police (LNP) arrested the deceased’s uncle and five other persons in connection to the death of the child.
Those arrested were Momo Gray, Siaffa Gray, Cooper Ross, Satta Wonda, the mother of the deceased, and Omacy Nyei.
At the time, police established that all of the suspects committed the act for financial gain and were subsequently brought to the headquarters of the Liberia National Police to be questioned. But the police failed to state whether their investigation discovered who these suspects were trading body parts with. However, four people, including the deceased’s mother and grandparents, were set free.
Defendant Momo Gray, the uncle of the deceased, taking the witness stand and testifying on his behalf on May 19, admitted to murdering his nephew, but alleged that he acted upon the order of the child’s mother; whom he said was encouraged to have her son killed in order to sell the major organs for money due to hardship.
Warning: the following article contains graphic details and may shock readers (webmaster FVDK)
Missing 4 Year Old Found Dead With Missing Body Parts
Published: March 9, 2023 By: UniqueGracee – Opera News, Nigeria
The dead body of a 4 year old boy identified as Eleazar Ishiya, was found in a Manhole in Jabi area, Abuja. It was reported that he was declared missing three days ago at Filing Ball, Jabi Daki Biyu.
According to an eye witness identified as Joel Joseph, Eleazar’s grandmother attempted to jump into the hole when she found out her grandson’s body was inside. Luckily she was held and pushed out of the hole, it was Joseph that jumped into the hole and brought out the boys corpse.
When the little boy was brought out of the hole, his body was already rotten. It was also discovered that he was missing some vital organs, his genitals and tongue were cut off while his eyes were plugged out.
From the state of the young boy’s body, it was evident that it was a ritual killing and the killers had dumped his body in the pit after killing him at night.
Mrs Precious Ishaya who is the boy’s Mother described the little boy as being smart, he was also the only child of his parents. She explained that the day he went missing, he was about to bath but instead he decided to go out to by sweets from their neighbors shop and he went missing.
The Mother explained that it was not the death of her son that hurt her the most, but it was the horrible way he died that hurt her the most. She said that she doesn’t know who did such a thing to her child but she rests the case to God.
She also said she did not have the courage to look at the body of her son when he was found dead, it was later that she managed to look at his dead body in pictures.
Source: Daily Trust
Content created and supplied by: UniqueGracee (via Opera News )
It’s again a sad (and cruel) story. The reader is warned: the following article contains graphic details of a barbaric crime. This time it occurred in an eastern region of the vast Central African country Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Two tiny Central African countries Rwanda and Burundi are nearby. Is there a relationship with these countries where people with albinism are also often targeted by unscrupulous individuals? Who is responsible for this horrific act which left a young boy dead, a crime which was based on superstition and motived by greed? As soon as more will be known I will share it with you. Meanwhile we hope that the authorities are swift in their reaction, effective in their investigations, and without mercy to bring the perpetrator(s) to court to account for their ruthless and disgusting deed. (webmaster FVDK)
Witchcraft killer decapitates five-year-old albino boy and hacks off his legs in Congo
Albinos in the DRC are sometimes targeted due to the belief that their body parts can be used in magic rituals (file image of a boy with albinism in Kenya)
Published: February 2, 2023 By: Jack Newman – Mail Online, UK
Some believe people with albinism have magical powers in sub-Saharan Africa
Their body parts are often sold for thousands on the black market
A five-year-old albino boy has been decapitated and had his legs cut off by a witchcraft killer in the DR Congo.
Occult believers in sub-Saharan Africa believe the body parts of people with albinism carry magical powers and are regularly sold on the black market.
The young boy’s body was found in eastern DR Congo’s South Kivu province in the Kalehe area of South Kivu – a province that borders Rwanda and Burundi.
Only the arms and torso remained of the boy when he was discovered on Wednesday, and police are hunting for the killer.
Archimedes Karhebwa, assistant administrator of Kalehe territory said: ‘We condemn and deplore this new case of the murder of a 5-year-old albino, who was kidnapped by armed bandits for ulterior motives.’
Juvenal Lushule, who works for an albino association in South Kivu, said that 18 albinos had been killed in similar circumstances in the province since 2009.
He said: ‘This recent case disgusts us and does not surprise us, because we have always been victims of these barbarisms.’
Ten albino graves had also been profaned during that period, according to Lushule, and there were 22 kidnapping attempts.
As in several other African countries, albinos in the DRC are sometimes targeted due to the belief that their body parts can be used in magic rituals to bring fame and fortune.
Because of the superstition, their body parts can be sold for thousands of dollars and they are often targeted in ritual killings.
Some believe that having sex with an albino woman can also cure AIDS.
Albinism, caused by a lack of melanin, the pigment that colours skin, hair and eyes, is a genetic condition that affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, especially in Africa.
On Wednesday, January 11, the people of Arondizuogu in Imo State, In Nigeria’s delta region, took to the streets to protest over a number of unexplained killings in their communities. The killings were described as ‘strange happenings’ and linked to politics. One does not need much imagination to associate these killings with ritualistic murders.
Imo State is located in the country’s south-east, is the third smallest in area of Nigeria’s 36 states and has a population of about 6 – 7 million people. It is not the first time the people in Imo State are confronted with deadly ritualistic activities in their communities. In 2009, a large group of women from Ndiakunwata and Arondizuogu, Ideato North, a Local Government Area of Imo State, stormed the state capital Owerri to stage a peaceful protest over a wave of ritual killings in their area. See the second article presented below for more details.
The third article below describes another horrible ritual murder which occurred in 2009. The mentioning of Otokoto in the 2009 article refers to the 1996 Otokoto riots which happened in the aftermath of another ritual murder in Imo State in that year (of an 11-year-old schoolboy boy, Anthony Ikechukwu Okoronkwo, though the uprising was also caused by the rampant corruption in the state). Readers are warned that the described murder cases contain graphic details.
Finally, for shortness sake I refer to my previous postings for more ritual murder cases in Imo State. To access these postings, click on ‘African countries’ in the dropdown menu and select: Nigeria (webmaster FVDK).
Villagers protest ritual killings, burning of vehicles in Imo State
Published: January 11, 2023 By: Chinonso Alozie – Vanguard, Nigeria
Elderly men, women and Youths of Arondizugo, Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo state, on Wednesday continued to protest over the alleged killings and burning of vehicles by suspected hoodlums in their communities.
The youths were seen on a video that went viral on social media, they marched around the Ideato North communities demanding no further delay for government to intervene in their situation.
At the time of filing this report, some of the villagers who could not give reasons for the attacks described some of the killings as “strange happenings” and linked to politics.
The latest was the alleged killing of a young man and a tricycle rider whose names were withheld. It happened Tuesday night at Ndiejezie Izuogu in Ideato’s local government area of Imo State.
They lamented the burning of about three vehicles one of the vehicle’s plate numbers was given as a YAB-225DY Range rover vehicle.
One of the villagers who preferred not to mention his name said: “My brother these killings have been happening for some time. We have cried for help nothing is happening. Even sometime last year, our royal fathers from Arondizugo came out and protested. I saw you were among the journalists that they addressed and pleaded for government intervention because this is too much.
“We want the government to come and save us. We don’t need much delay again. We are in pain now. We want an end to these killings and burning of vehicles.
“Many of roads are not safe now. this is bad we want help. let us end this killings. We are tired. Why the killings? why these troubles. We want government to end it.”
However, at the time of filing this report, the elders in the various villages were still having strategic meetings to see how to end the reported killings and burning of vehicles.
When the Imo state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Micheal Abattam, was contacted he was yet to respond.
Published: November 12, 2009 By: Chidi Nkwopara – Vanguard, Nigeria
OWERRI – Scores of women from Ndiakunwata, Arondizuogu, Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State, stormed Owerri to stage a peaceful protest over recent ritual killings in their area.
Vanguard gathered that unidentified ritualists killed an octogenarian, Mrs. Beatrice Asoanya, and her granddaughter, Miss Chinaza Okereke, while they were sleeping in their home.
The women displayed placards with varying inscriptions, which included “Our lives are in serious danger”, “We are no longer safe in our community”, “We need government’s intervention” and “Ohakim save us”.
Speaking to newsmen amidst sobs, Lady Patricia Okereke, the mother of the slain Chinaza, said the suspected ritualists cut off the breast of her mother, Mrs. Asoanya, and drained her blood.
Lady Okereke said the women were angered that the suspected killer of the two citizens have been released, adding that the released suspects had since been moved to Abuja by his masters.
Okereke wondered why her daughter and mother would be murdered in such a gruesome manner, while the alleged culprits were left off the hook because of alleged influence of those backing him.
I demand that the perpetrators be brought to face the full weight of the law with a view to serving as a deterrence to others, she pleaded.
Otokoto again in Imo! Girl, 18, beheaded for rituals
Published: November 5, 2009 (headlines: August 19, 2009) By: Chidi Nkwopara – Nairaland, Nigeria
Residents of Owerri were Wednesday morning treated to a morbid spectacle as the police command paraded four suspects and the decomposing head of an 18-year old Chinwe Doris Perpetua Obieri, who was murdered for ritual purposes.
The bizarre scene, which was a replica of the infamous Otokoto saga of September 1996, had the prime suspect, 24-year old Emeka Uwakwe, from Ndiakunwata, Arondizuogu, Ideato North local government area of the state, clutching the decapitated head of his girl friend, Chinwe.
Speaking to newsmen, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aloy Okorie, gave the names of the other suspects as Chigamezu Anyaoha from Orodo, Mbaitoli local council area, Anthony Obioha from Lude, Ahiazu Mbaise local government area, and the medicine man, Damian Joseph from Obot Akara, Akwa Ibom State.
Mr. Okorie gave a graphic account of how the sordid crime was committed and the efforts made by the state police command to apprehend the suspects in far away Lagos State.
“You can see we have a case of murder for ritual murder. What happened was that on Sunday, July 26, 2009, the young lady whose head you are seeing (pointing at the decapitated head of Chinwe) left her Akokwa home, Ideato North local government area of Imo State. You can see the head without the body.
Late Chinwe before her death “The young man, Emeka Uwakwe, is the boy friend of this girl and he came all the way from Lagos and lured her to his house in the village. He murdered the girl, cut off her head for ritual purpose and dumped the headless body in a bush. Apparently, the girl had told her parents that she was going to visit her maternal uncle in another village.
“As at 7.04pm on that same Sunday, she called her parents and informed them she was already in her maternal uncle’s compound and they believed her. Later, her parents made a call to her and the call was not pulling through up till the next morning and by Monday when it was obvious that she was not coming back, they made a report to the police that their daughter was missing.
“The names of the parents are Mr. Nicholas and Mrs. Theresa Obieri from Umuezeala, Umueziama Kindred in Akokwa. It was after they made the report to the police that some vigilante people on the same date, came around and said they saw a headless body in the bush. The police invited the girl’s parents and they identified the headless body to be that of their daughter.
“It was at that point that the police swung into action and started making investigations. From information, we got to know that she had a boy friend who is resident in Lagos and who was seen around home within that period. So, we went to Lagos and we were able to arrest Emeka Uwakwe. You can see him now with the head of the slain girl (pointing at Emeka).
“When we now got him, he made a confession that Mr. Damian Joseph of Obot Akara in Akwa Ibom State, though he is based in Lagos also, was the one who made the charm with which, if he got the head of this girl, mix it with the charm and bury it, money will start flowing, he will start plucking money as if he was plucking fruits from the tree. That was exactly what the man did. He (Emeka) got the concoction, mixed it with the head and buried it in his room.
“We also went for the Native Doctor and got him. Meanwhile, Emeka made a confession too that it was his friends, Chigaemezu Anyaoha and Anthony Obioha, that introduced him to the Native Doctor and that he was capable of making medicine for money. They also confirmed that they had done such a medicine before with human scrotum. We do not know whether it their own scrotum or other people’s scrotum. We will surely find out in due.
“You can see the pretty 18-year old girl (displaying her photograph). I am sure if you had seen this girl when she was alive, you will weep. You will certainly weep because I have never seen a thing like that in my life. I just imagine my own daughter of that age being slaughtered for ritual purposes.
“Well, in an era where we talking about people going to live in the moon, that is the age we are in, 21st century, and people are still being fooled that they can use human head to make money. It is very unfortunate.
“Emeka Uwakwe was arrested on Wednesday last week (August 12, 2009) and when he gave us the information on how he got about the whole show, our men left for Lagos on Sunday and we were able to arrest both the Native Doctor and the other two boys. The next line of action is that they will pay the price prescribed by the laws of the land. We all know the price for somebody who has committed murder. He will pay with his own life. There is no duplicate for life. If he had the courage to kill somebody, he should also be prepared to face the consequence. He should be in a position to say if he killed her with a knife or first strangulated her before he cut off the neck.
“It is very clear that the girl deceived her parents. My advice is simple. I have a daughter of that age. I know how we monitor her. Most times, especially in this era, if she has to go out, we must let go with somebody because you never can tell. That age is a critical period in the training of children. Parents should monitor their daughters closely. It is easy to make contacts in this GSM era. I am sure that if the parents had raised alarm that very night they did not see her, may be things would have come out differently.
Warning: The following articles’ graphic contents may upset readers
Nothing less than a horror story. In Kisii, in south-western Kenya a three-year old baby was attacked, his eyes gouged out allegedly for ritualistic reasons. The baby was saved and at present is in a stable condition but unfortunately the small boy will never regain his eyesight.
The police has arrested a suspect. Also the baby’s mother has been arrested. They are suspected to have gouged out baby Sangini’s eyes for ritualistic purposes.
The gory attack has caused many reactions, people are angry and saddened that an innocent child was attacked and that he will be blind for the rest of his life.
The story is almost too horrific to believe and the reader is warned that the following articles on baby Sangini contain graphic details including a photo of the young victim.
It is mainly because a similar attack took place on the other side of the African continent that I decided to draw attention to the mutilation of the Kenyan baby Sangini. Earlier this year, in June, police in Bauchi State, Nigeria, arrested three individuals for allegedly gouging out the eyes of a boy, also for rituals. Tomorrow I will post more details about the latter case. (webmaster FVDK).
Man suspected to have gouged out Baby Sagini’s eyes arrested The eyes were gouged out to be used as rituals
In Summary:
The suspect was Monday expected in court as investigators go on with their work. More suspects are being sought, police said Monday December 19.
Maina Ochoki (Baby Junior Sagini’s Cousin) is believed to be main the suspect in the case of Baby Sagini.
Maina Ochoki first suspect in the Marani case arrested,set to appear in court
Published: December 19, 2022 By: Cyrus Ombati, The Star – Kenya
Police on Sunday arrested the main suspect in a case where a three-year-old boy had his eyes gouged out in Kisii.
Maina Ochoki, baby Junior Sagini’s cousin, is believed to be the main suspect in the case of Baby Sagini.
Police investigators say Maina and his mother Pacifica gouged out Baby Sagini’s eyes to be used as a ritual.
The suspect was Monday expected in court as investigators go on with their work.
More suspects are being sought, police said on Monday, December 19.
By Sunday, Sagini was due for discharge following the doctor’s advice.
Kisii Eye Hospital director Dan Kiage said the boy was responding well to treatment and ready for discharge.
“It is unfortunate he will not see,” he said.
Sagini had been in the company of other children when he broke away, only to be found with his eyes gouged out and writhing in pain.
Attempted murder – Suspect in baby Sagini’s case detained for five days The three-year-oild had his eyes gouged out for a suspected ritual
In Summary:
* Police successfully sought to have Ochogo detained for five days over investigations into the gouging out of baby Junior Sagini’s eyes. * Prosecutor Hilary Kaino made the miscellaneous application to enable them arrest more suspects including Ochogo’s mother who is the main suspect.
ATTEMPTED MURDER: Alex Ochogo arrested for allegedly gouging the eyes of the three-year-old boy at Ikuruma village in Marani subcounty, Kisii on Monday, December 19. Image: CYRUS OMBATI
Published: December 19, 2022 By: Magati Obebo, The Star – Kenya
A man arrested for allegedly gouging out the eyes of a three-year-old boy in Kisii will be detained for five days pending investigations.
Alex Ochogo, 26, appeared before senior resident magistrate Christine Ogweno at Kisii law court on Monday.
Police successfully sought to have him detained for five days over investigations into the gouging out of baby Junior Sagini’s eyes at Ikuruma village in Marani subcounty, Kisii.
Prosecutor Hilary Kaino made the miscellaneous application to enable them arrest more suspects including Ochogo’s mother who is the main suspect.
Kaino told the court that Ochogo was seen escorting his mother to a bus station, who then fled to Nairobi on the day baby Sagini was found in a maize plantation.
Police are investigating a case of attempted murder.
“The main suspect was the last person seen with this child in the evening, hours before he disappeared. The following morning this suspect left to Nairobi,” Kaino told the court.
The prosecutor told the court that holding the suspect in custody will guarantee his safety against harm by members of the public.
Advocates Daphine Biyaki and Nduhukire Anita who were watching the brief for baby Sagini, agreed with the prosecutor’s application to detain the suspect for five days.
Ogweno ruled that the suspect will be detained at Rioma police station for five days as the police conclude investigations.
“The suspect will be arraigned in the same court on December 23 to know his fate as the court gives directions,” the magistrate said.
Baby Sagini’s mother was also arrested on Sunday and booked at Nyanchwa police station under OB NO 13/18/12/2022.
She was locked at the court’s police cells and later driven away by DCI officers the moment Ochogo appeared in court.
Baby Sagini who is admitted at Kisii Eye hospital in an early interview said a man with a rope and a torch took him from their home compound where he was playing with other kids.
Sagini’s eye specialist Dr Dan Kiage said the boy is in a stable condition however, there is no way he will regain his eyesight.
Police said Ochogo and his mother Pacifica are suspected to have gouged out Sagini’s eyes to be used as ritual for Ochogo’s father.
It is alleged that the two conspired in December 2021 and killed Ochogo’s father.
Manhunt – Sonko issues Sh200,000 reward for suspects in Sagini case Baby Sagini, 3, had his eyes gouged out during an attack by unknown thugs in Kisii
In Summary:
He offered a Sh400,000 reward to any officer who will fish out the suspect.
The former governor further promised an additional Sh200,000 for any person who volunteers information that may lead to arrest of the key suspects
CASH REWARD: Former Nairobi governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko.
Published: December 18, 2022 By: Magati Obebo, The Star – Kenya
Former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko has joined other leaders to condemn the assault on Junior Sagini from Ikuruma, Marani in Kisii.
Sagini, 3, had his eyes gouged out during a gory attack by unknown thugs on Thursday night.
Sonko described the incident as saddening.
He offered a Sh400,000 reward to any officer who will fish out the suspect.
The former governor further promised an additional Sh200,000 for any person who volunteers information that may lead to arrest of the key suspects.
The incident has evoked a string of reactions across the political divide.
Nominated Senator Essy Okenyuri visited Sagini at Kisii Eye Hospital on Saturday where he is receiving treatment.
She asked security agencies investigating the case to leave no stone unturned.
Okenyuri said no child deserves to go through torture, the kind Sagini suffered in the hands of his tormentors.
“Every child deserves to be treated with dignity notwithstanding the circumstances they are brought up. I am hoping nothing will stand in the way as justice is sought for him,” she said.
Political activist Steven Nyarangi said the incident was heart wrenching.
By Saturday evening, detectives in Kisii said they were quizzing the father-Thomas Ongaga- over the incident.
He had been living with the child after separating with the wife.
Police, however, said he was not in their custody yet as a suspect adding that they sought him for information as part of preliminary investigations.
Already Vigilance House has dispatched an additional team of detectives to help unravel the motive behind the bizarre attack.
In Kisii, friends have begun donating money for Sagini’s medical bill.
The hospital bills has shot to Sh100,000 with family members requesting help.
At the hospital, Sagini innocently played in his bed with bandages wrapped on the empty sockets oblivious that the verdict on his ability to see again had been decided by a tormentor.
He asked doctors when he is going to see.
Villagers and relatives at Ikuruma found him covered in blood and crying in pain after a night out in the cold.
The minor is said to had broken off from the other team of children sent out Wednesday to fetch water only to be discovered with eyes gouged out.
The attack on the boy horrified Kenyans, leading to a growing outcry and outrage over violence against children in the country.
Discharged – Kisii Governor Arati offsets baby Sagini’s hospital bill, condemns attack The three-year old baby had his eyes gouged out during an attack by unknown thugs
In Summary:
Arati visited the baby at Kisii Eye Specialist Hospital on Sunday morning where he volunteered to offset the Sh100,000 medical bill.
Kisii Eye Hospital director Dan Kiage said the boy was responding well to treatment and ready for discharge.
MEDICAL BILL: Kisii Governor Simba Arati with Kisii Eye Hospital boss Dan Kiage after he visited baby Sagini whose eyes were gouged out by an attacker on Thursday night. Image: MAGATI OBEBO
Published: December 18, 2022 By: Magati Obebo, The Star – Kenya
Kisii Governor Simba Arati has termed baby Junior Sagini’s attack as appalling and despicable.
The three-year-old had his eyes gouged out by unknown thugs in Ikuruma, Marani on Thursday night.
Arati visited the baby at Kisii Eye Specialist Hospital on Sunday morning where he volunteered to offset the Sh100,000 medical bill.
Sagini was due for discharge following the doctor’s advice.
Kisii Eye Hospital director Dan Kiage said the boy was responding well to treatment and ready for discharge.
“It is unfortunate he will not see,” he said.
Sagini had been in the company of other children when he broke away, only to be be found with his eyes gouged out and writhing in pain.
Arati said plans are afoot to have Sagini and his sister relocated to a safe house.
“It is unfortunate that such a small boy could be brutalised like this. It points to the growing mental problems society is grappling with, which should form part of the wider investigations,” Arati said.
During the visit, Arati asked security agencies and government administrators in the villages to monitor families that go through marital challenges and refer them for counseling, to avert such disasters.
He offered to set up a rehabilitation centre, to take care of such cases.
“We will do a supplementary budget to ensure this is realised,” the governor said.
Also see:
In Kisii – Detectives probe father of boy whose eyes were gouged out Cops say they have not arrested him but are only questioning him
In Summary:
• County police boss Mutungi Musyoki, however, said they are only questioning the father as part of the preliminary investigations.
• He is currently recovering at Kisii Eye Hospital, where doctors said he will never see again following the attack.
Published: December 17, 2022 By: Magati Obebo, The Star – Kenya
Detectives in Kisii on Saturday opened a probe into the bizarre incident where a minor’s eyes were gouged out in a Thursday night attack in Marani.
They have questioned the father of the boy, Thomas Ongaga- who lives with the children alone after separating from their mother.
Police said they are piecing every detail together as they search for clues that may lead to the arrests of key suspects in the macabre attack on the three-year-old.
County police boss Mutungi Musyoki, however, said they are only questioning the father as part of the preliminary investigations.
“We are only questioning him, he has not been arrested,” Musyoki told journalists.
The motive of the beastly act remained unknown as a manhunt for the suspects continues.
The minor, Junior Sagini, was reported missing after visiting the maize farm with her seven-year-old sister.
There were other conflicting reports that they were in the company of other children and that they had been sent to fetch water when he broke away from the team only to be found later, soaked in blood with eyes gouged out.
He is currently recovering at Kisii Eye Hospital, where doctors said he will never see again following the attack.
Police said they are not leaving anything to chance as the manhunt is still on.
“We want to know what happened in between the visit to the farm, at what point did the two siblings separate, who kidnapped him and committed the heinous act on him,” Musyoki said.
Kisii Eye Hospital director Dan Kiage said that the boy was in bad shape when he was brought in.
“It appears the attacker used a sharp object like a knife to injure the eyelids. The problem is that he won’t see again,” he said.
Horror as boy, 3, kidnapped and eyes gouged out in Kisii Minor was rushed to hospital after he was found with his case covered with blood
In Summary:
The minor was rushed to the Kisii Eye Hospital after he was found with his face covered with blood.
When the other children got home with their jerrycans full of water, they informed his grandmother what had happened.
Published: December 17, 2022 By: Cyrus Ombati, The Star – Kenya
A special police squad has been sent to a village in Kisii to investigate a bizarre incident where suspected thugs kidnapped a three-year-old baby and gouged out his eyes before dumping him at the family’s banana plantation.
The gang is said to have taken away the child from his family home in Marani on Wednesday, December 14 evening and held him for more than six hours, sending the family into panic as they searched for the minor’s whereabouts in vain.
The minor was rushed to the Kisii Eye Hospital after he was found with his face covered with blood.
Doctors have said he will remain blind for now and he is recuperating in the general ward after a surgical procedure.
“Both his eyes had been removed completely and there are some injuries in the lids…so it looks like there was a sharp instrument like a knife that was used,” Dr Daniel Kiage at the facility said.
Residents of Ikuruma village in Marani, Kisii county, are yet to tell the motive of the incident.
Police had initially arrested one of the boy’s relatives as a suspect in the investigations but later released him for lack of evidence connecting him to the crime.
A team of detectives has since been sent from Nairobi to boost local ones in the probe.
Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin said they want to know the motive and those behind the bizarre incident.
Swathes of bandages are covering the emptiness where his eyes once were.
His family is calling on the police to speed up investigations and bring to the perpetrators to book.
Doctors said the boy is scheduled for a second operation as soon as he is stable enough.
The boy’s grandmother Rael Mayieka told police it all started when her grandson, went to fetch water from a nearby spring.
He was in the company of other children but it is said that he threw his jerrycan into a nearby thicket and started running away.
When the other children got home with their jerrycans full of water, they informed his grandmother what had happened.
The granny went to the spring searching for her grandson, but he was nowhere to be seen.
It was until the following day that his elder brother who had gone to cut grass for the cows pounced on him in a maize plantation and alerted them.
Ritual murders are not uncommon in Nigeria but it is rare that the victim is a non-Nigerian. Reportedly, the Togolese girl – allegedly a seven-year old girl but the first article below mentions her age as ten years old – was murdered by a ritual killer. in Ota, Ogun State.
The case is now under investigation.
Warning: the following articles contain graphic details (webmaster FVDK).
Suspected ritualist kills Togolese girl in Ogun State
Published: November 24, 2022 By: Adekunle Dada – Within Nigeria
Suspected ritualists have reportedly killed a 10-year-old Togolese girl in Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of Ogun State.
The tragic incident happened around 7 am on Thursday at Kilani Street, Iyana Iyesi area of Ota, Ogun State.
A friend of the victim’s mother who was a neighbour was said to had sent the girl to her home to get charcoal. But, on getting to the house, the girl sighted some hoodlums who had broken into the house, carting away some property.
It was further gathered that the attempt by the girl to run away having seen and identified them failed as they reportedly held her and killed her with a pestle.
According to PUNCH, a neighbour who pleaded anonymity said the killers were suspected ritualists who had hidden somewhere in the building, attacked her and smashed her head with a pestle.
The source said the girl’s cry for help attracted the neighbour’s attention, but she was dead before anybody could arrive at the scene.
A resident of the area, Bolanle Sunmonu, said that the neighbours searched for the suspects, but they had left and could not be found.
It was gathered that police were alerted but the suspects had long escaped before they could get to the scene to assess the situation.
Another resident said “the police have taken away the body of the victim. I know the girl very well, we used to call her Mama. The suspect killed her in cold blood. At first, we thought it was a thief, but further findings revealed that the guy is a ritualist.
“When we searched further, we discovered that the man had charms and a goat hidden in an empty building close to his victim’s house. When we got there, we saw a goat. The goat attacked one of us, but it was later killed. This is a sad occurrence,” another source stated.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the incident said the killers were armed robbers and not ritualists.
Oyeyemi said, “It is true. The mother is a Togolese and has a female friend who is a Ghanaian. It was the Ghanaian woman that sent the girl to her house to get her charcoal.
“Getting to the house, she met the robbers who identified her and did not want her to expose them. They killed her.
“Our men have combed all the areas but had not got them. The command will ensure they are arrested.”
Warning: the following article’s graphic content may upset some readers.
Yesterday I reported on four recent ritual murder cases in Ghana, one of them being the killing for ritualistic purposes of a young lady, Georgina Asor Botchwey, a student nurse, at Mankessim, in the Central Region.
The murder took place on September 9 of this year. Two suspects have been arrested. The suspects are a self-styled pastor Michael Darko, 48; and the Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwakrom Christopher Ekow Quansah, 65, who reportedly kidnapped, killed, and secretly buried the victim.
Screenshot – click here to watch the YouTube video
The Ghanaian police is to be commended for its swift action. We will follow closely subsequent events. (webmaster FVDK)
Suspects Confess To Ritual Killing In Mankessim Murder
Published: September 23, 2022 By: Gloria Kafu Ahiable – The Ghana Report
Two suspects involved in the murder of a student nurse at Mankessim in the Central Region have admitted to killing the victim for ritual purposes.
The suspects, a self-styled pastor Michael Darko, 48; and the Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwakrom Christopher Ekow Quansah, 65, reportedly kidnapped, killed, and secretly buried the victim.
The police said the two confessed to “murdering the victim for money rituals.”
“During police interrogation, suspect Michael Darko, who is the alleged boyfriend of the senior sister of the deceased victim and was last seen with her, led police to the location where they had buried her after the murder.”
The body has since been exhumed and deposited at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.
Meanwhile, the two accused persons were hauled before the District Court II in Cape Coast to respond to their crime on 22 September 2022.
They were remanded in police custody by the Cape Coast Court to reappear on 4 October 2022.
Both have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and murder, contrary to section 46 of the Criminal Offenses Act 1960, Act 29.
What happened to the student nurse
The student nurse, Georgina Asor Botchwey, was allegedly kidnapped, killed and secretly buried by the chief and the pastor in the chief’s house at Mankessim.
The victim, 25, is said to have gone for an interview at the Ankaful Nursing Training College when the pastor, who happens to be her sister’s boyfriend, invited her for a meeting.
After the interview, the victim set off to meet her soon‐to‐be brother‐in‐law. Little did she know a trap had been set before she arrived in Cape Coast on 8 September 2022.
The self-styled pastor had conspired with the chief, who is the Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwakrom, to kidnap and sexually assault her.
On 9 September 2022, the accused persons picked the victim up in a Taxi at the Ankaful Hospital Pedu junction in Cape Coast.
They then took her to an uncompleted building belonging to the chief, where they had dug a hole in preparation for the ritual.
The chief is said to have hit the deceased with a club, and when she fell, her sister’s boyfriend dragged her by the feet while the chief held her neck till she died.
Meanwhile, news that the deceased had been missing for three weeks began to spread in the Mankessim after she failed to return home after the interview.
A notice in circulation read:
“Georgina Botchwey went for an interview at Cape Coast on Wednesday, and up till now, she cannot be found; her phone is off. Please, anybody with information about her should call 0208503126 or 0247048711.”
Following this notice, a friend of the deceased raised an alarm about Georgina meeting with her sister’s boyfriend.
Shortly after the tip-off, the pastor was arrested in Cape Coast and admitted to the crime.
He subsequently led the police to the residence where Georgina had been buried, and her body was exhumed.
The family of the murdered student nurse later disclosed that the suspects initially demanded a ransom from them.
According to Georgina Asor Botchwey’s relatives, the pastor and his accomplice had demanded that they pay GH¢15,000 for her release.
Unfortunately, the family could not raise the said amount.
