Unfortunately, Nigeria is not the only African country where persistent rumours and even hard evidence point to ambitious politicians who have resorted to ritual practices, including ritual murder, in order to achieve their goal of being elected. I have highlighted this on this site on several occasions referring to countries in West, Central and Southern Africa. See e.g. the following posts with respect to Eswatini (ex-Swaziland), Gabon, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Zambia.
In this light the warning of te President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bischop Wale One, must be understood. I wish to underline that his warning is not to be misunderstood: not every politician, elected or not yet elected, ambitious or not, in Nigeria or another African country believes in supernatural powers. Certainly, the majority doesn’t. But we also have to face a grim realty and that is the importance of bishop Oke’s statement. We cannot bury our heads in the sand regarding what is actually happening. It is precisely the involvement of certain politicians that stands in the way of a robust and effective crackdown on the phenomenon of ritual killings in a number of African countries. (webmaster FVDK)
2027: PFN President Bishop Wale Oke warns politicians against ritual killings
The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bishop Wale Oke
Published: March 18, 2026 By: Wale Akinselure – Punch, Nigeria
The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bishop Wale Oke, has warned that God’s judgment awaits politicians who resort to ritual killings and other violent means to gain power ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Oke, who is also the Prelate of the Calvary Grace International College of Bishops, spoke on Tuesday in Lagos while delivering a state-of-the-nation address to herald a special ministers’ empowerment conference organised by the college.
The cleric condemned what he described as “blood politics,” cautioning politicians against violence, killings, and fetish practices in their quest for power.
He said, “There is no position that you’re going for that is worthy of the blood of any Nigerian.
“There should be no politics of murder and killing. Present your case to the Nigerian populace, argue your case, promise whatever you want to promise, but don’t promise lies.”
He warned that any politician engaging in ritual practices or killings to win elections would face divine consequences.
“The age of going for fetish rituals is gone. We are praying for Nigeria that God will judge any politician that will resort to fetish things, ritual killings and murder to come to power,” Oke said.
Addressing voters, the cleric urged Nigerians, particularly youths, not to sell their votes during elections.
“Don’t sell your vote; your vote represents your political power and your future security. If you sell your vote, you are selling your future,” he said, adding that vote-buying would end if voters refused to participate in it.
Oke also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct free and fair elections without interference.
“Let INEC do its job as provided in the constitution. Let all parties go to the polls to test their popularity, and whoever emerges should be accepted,” he said.
The cleric further advocated a review of Nigeria’s constitution, describing it as flawed and not reflective of the country’s diversity.
“The Constitution was imposed on us and is unfair. It does not represent all Nigerians. If religion must be included, then all religions should be represented equally. Otherwise, let religion be a private matter,” he said.
Oke also alleged that killings in parts of the country had religious undertones and called for urgent action to address insecurity.
“If there is no Christian genocide, what is happening in Benue, Taraba, Borno and Plateau states?” he queried.
He urged Christians to actively participate in politics rather than remain on the sidelines.
“If we keep saying politics is dirty and refuse to get involved, then we are allowing it to remain dirty. Let us get involved from the grassroots and change the narrative,” he said.
He urged the Federal Government to cooperate with the United States to decisively deal with terrorists.
Recognising poverty as a problem, Oke urged the federal and state governments to heavily invest in education and the creation of jobs for the huge population of youths.
Rather than doling out bags of rice as empowerment, Oke urged the Federal Government to create jobs through the establishment of cottage industries in each of the 774 local government areas and the engagement of 1,000 people each.
He also called for support for youth entrepreneurs and farmers, while calling for massive investment in agriculture to ensure food security.
“We should no longer import a lot of things; we should be producing what we need. The economy should drive innovation as the distribution of rice is not a permanent solution to poverty,” Oke said.
Superstition is the common denominator of both ritual murder and belief in witchcraft. Both phenomena are likely to occur in all countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In the past, I have extensively discussed (accusations of) witchcraft here, citing cases in a large number of SSA countries: Angola, DRC, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The fact that not all SSA countries are mentioned on this site is more a result of underreporting than of the phenomenon not occurring in the SSA countries not mentioned.
The article below is a worthwhile report on the causes and consequences of accusations of witchcraft in Ghana: worth reading but painful to read about what people can do to each other. The most vulnerable in society are often the victims: vulnerable, elderly women and young children. I am reminded of the sad case of the 90-year-old woman who was lynched in Ghana in 2000, accused of witchcraft (also mentioned by the author in the article below). Unfortunately, there are many more cases, some of which, as mentioned, are reported on this site. Terrible.
The author of the article below, Claire Thomas, an award-winning Welsh photojournalist and fine-art photographer, is to be commended for her thorough research into witchcraft in Ghana and the resulting reporting. Yesterday, I highlighted Leo Igwe’s excellent work in this area. These abuses (read: crimes) can never be given enough attention, and never enough action to eradicate them forever. (webmaster FVDK)
The women banished as witches in West Africa
Claire Thomas reports on the women banished from their communities after being accused of being witches
Published: February 13, 2026 By: Claire Thomas – Geographical, U.K.
In a remote part of West Africa, centuries-old superstitions continue to condemn women accused of witchcraft to exile. A landmark bill offers hope — but can justice overcome belief?
Report and photographs by Claire Thomas
From ghouls and goblins to fairies and ogres, mythical creatures have long stirred the imaginations of children. Tales of wizards and witches – one often symbolising wisdom and power, the other evil and danger – remain especially enduring, kept alive through books, films and folklore. But in northern Ghana, witches aren’t confined to fairy tales. Belief in witchcraft remains widespread and deeply entrenched there, with devastating consequences, particularly for women.
This belief can be deadly. In July 2020, 90-year-old Akua Denteh was brutally lynched in a public market after being accused of witchcraft. Her killing, filmed and widely circulated, shocked the nation and galvanised calls for legal reform. Her death became a symbol of the deadly intersection of superstition and gender-based violence.
To be accused of witchcraft in Ghana is to face exile, persecution and even death. These accusations – often directed at older, vulnerable women – can be triggered by personal misfortunes: the death of a relative, failed crops, illness or jealousy over a woman’s independence. Even a child’s success at school can spark suspicions of a mother’s spell. For those deemed guilty, banishment to one of northern Ghana’s six so-called ‘witch camps’ is often the only means of survival.
I first visited the Gambaga ‘witch camp’, located in Ghana’s North East Region, in 2008, and returned in 2012. There, I witnessed first-hand the stark realities the women endure. While interviewing one elderly woman, I asked if she believed she was a witch. Before she could respond, my translator, who was related to the local chief, interjected: ‘Of course she’s a witch. Why else would she be here?’ The question was never translated. Her answer was lost – her voice dismissed before it could even be heard.
The settlement – a cluster of round mud huts with thatched roofs in Ghana’s semi-arid savannah – offers fragile protection: safety from attack, but no escape from the stigma of being branded a witch.
Matis Awola, a widow in her late 50s, sits outside her hut in Gambaga to which she was banished after a man claimed to have seen her in a dream
Accusations often lead to a traditional ‘trial’ – a ritual involving the slaughter of a chicken or guinea fowl, with the manner of its death interpreted as spiritual evidence. But in many cases, the accusation alone is enough to seal a woman’s fate. Regardless of the ritual’s outcome, she may be cast out by her community, her judgment delivered not by spirits, but by neighbours.
When I returned to northern Ghana in May 2025, I met Matis Awola, a widow who had been banished from her home just a month earlier. For her, a man’s dream became a living nightmare.
‘A man saw me in a dream and the next day I was accused of being a witch,’ she tells me. ‘I went to the bush and wanted to kill myself.’
In April 2025, her son brought her to Gambaga, where she now lives in a tiny, windowless hut among about 80 other accused women. She survives by working on a local farm in exchange for food, clinging to the hope that she might one day return to her family.
Life in the camps is marked by relentless hardship. The women live in poverty and bear the burden of societal rejection, often ostracised even by their own families. They sleep on dirt floors in makeshift huts, relying on sparse donations from NGOs, churches or well-wishers. Access to clean water, healthcare and food is unreliable. Children who accompany their mothers or grandmothers are often bullied in school or pulled into street work, stigmatised as ‘witches’ children’.
Bachalbanueya has spent more than 40 years in exile. Now in her 80s, she sits quietly outside her crumbling mud-brick hut. She was banished after her husband’s co-wife accused her of witchcraft following his death – grief weaponised into a lifetime of isolation.
‘She had no children of her own,’ explains Reverend Gladys Lariba Mahama, a Presbyterian minister who has supported the women of Gambaga camp since 1997. ‘Whenever a child of the co-wife fell sick, they [the family] attributed it to her. Later, she was accused of causing the death of one of them, and she was brought to Gambaga.’
Stories like hers are tragically common. ‘It is violence against women – a demonisation of women,’ says Professor John Azumah, executive director of the Sanneh Institute in Accra, which has long supported survivors and is part of a coalition pushing for legal reform.
Even in Western usage, the term ‘witch hunt’ reflects long-standing cultural beliefs that associate witches with evil, and overwhelmingly with women. While men can also be accused, accusations most often target women. Witchcraft itself isn’t always seen as evil, Azumah explains, but when it’s believed to reside in a woman, it becomes feared and condemned. Male witches, by contrast, are often thought to use their powers for good.
Most of the women banished to camps are among society’s most vulnerable. ‘These women are the poorest of the poor,’ says Azumah. ‘They have no child or relatives well-off enough to speak for them – that’s why they’re languishing there. Women with educated children – those children get their mothers out. But these women have no-one. They are truly the voiceless.’
The women gather at the Community Centre in Gambaga
Lamnatu Adam, executive director of Songtaba, a women’s rights organisation in northern Ghana, echoes this view. ‘When men are spiritually strong, it’s said they use their power to protect the community and family,’ she says. ‘But when women are thought to be spiritually strong, it’s said they use it to cause harm, illness and disaster.’
As a result, women – particularly older women – disproportionately bear the burden of accusation and exile. ‘About 90 per cent of the women who are accused are over 60 years old and without education,’ says Adam. ‘They are very poor. Most don’t have children, and about 80 per cent are widows.’
Azumah traces the pattern of accusations to a blend of spiritual belief and calculated social exclusion. ‘It’s the oldest conspiracy theory of humankind,’ he says. ‘And it is a form of misogyny.’ Even a woman’s success, such as a bountiful harvest, can provoke jealousy. ‘They accuse her just to get her out of the community, then they take over her land.’
Sometimes, the danger comes from within the family. ‘Young men may genuinely believe their mothers are sabotaging their lives,’ he adds. ‘They truly believe it.’ In the end, he says, it’s scapegoating, ‘a conspiracy theory that has been used – and still is’.
Refuge or prison?
There are now around six unofficial ‘witch camps’ remaining in northern Ghana, situated near remote villages such as Gambaga, Kpatinga, Gnani and Kukuo. While these settlements may offer refuge from immediate danger, they also stand as stark reminders of social exclusion and the unresolved injustice the women continue to face.
As Professor Azumah puts it: ‘The camps are neither a refuge nor a prison, they are something in between.’
There are no fences or gates, yet most women don’t feel free to leave. Many believe that returning home would bring illness, misfortune or even death. Some were violently attacked before fleeing; others were quietly cast out by relatives seeking to rid the family of perceived spiritual danger.
‘There are no physical barriers keeping the women inside,’ says Professor Azumah. ‘But cultural and psychological ones are deeply entrenched. The women are made to believe that if they leave the camp, the spirits will kill them.’
Fusheina, a widow and mother of five, has lived in the Gnani camp in Ghana’s Northern Region for the past six years. She was accused of witchcraft by the chief of her village after the sudden death of her nephew. Expelled immediately, she now lives alone. ‘I’m not happy because my children are not with me,’ she says sorrowfully. ‘I just want to go home.’ But returning is not an option – she fears the villagers would harm her.
Life in the camp is extremely difficult, Fusheina adds. ‘There is no work. We don’t have a farm here, so we have no way of earning money.’ She hasn’t seen her children in more than two years.
While witchcraft accusations are common across Ghana, and many other countries, the practice of banishing women to isolated camps is less prevalent. ‘[Belief in] witchcraft is not just a Ghanaian thing,’ explains Professor Azumah. ‘It’s very strong in Nigeria, in East Africa, Tanzania, South Africa. What is unique about Ghana is the camps in the north.’
Despite being established to provide a place of refuge for vulnerable women, there are reports of exploitation and abuse within the camps. ‘I don’t call it a refuge,’ stresses Professor Azumah. ‘These are places of exploitation – the women there are exploited. Some of them are sexually abused, physically molested.’
Some women are forced to work without pay, fetching water or farming for community leaders and priests. There are credible reports of sexual abuse, and in at least one documented case, a priest fathered children with multiple women in a camp, according to Professor Azumah.
‘People are making money out of it,’ he adds. ‘It has become an industry – it is a huge business for people there. The women are used for free labour by the community leaders in the rainy season – they make them go and cultivate their farms. They do all the work manually and all they get is whatever food they can give them there to eat that day to do the work, that’s all. They are not paid anything.’
Even humanitarian aid doesn’t always reach its intended recipients. Community leaders – who often control the camps – have been accused of diverting food and money for personal use.
Chief of Gnani village, Mohammed Abdulai, in talks with Lamnatu Adam, of Songtaba, a women’s rights advocacy group
‘These are not safe havens,’ says Azumah. ‘They are places where society has abandoned its most vulnerable.’
In Gambaga, the Presbyterian Church has worked for decades to help restore dignity and agency, says Reverend Gladys Lariba Mahama. ‘In the past, when women were banished, no-one asked about them,’ she says. ‘But because of the church’s intervention, people now know them, and the whole world knows their story.’
‘This place [Gambaga camp] was established out of love and sympathy,’ she continues. Referring to the camp as a ‘home’, Reverend Gladys explains that it was founded decades ago when a local religious leader intervened to protect women accused of witchcraft. ‘Whenever they were accused, they would send them to the execution field to kill them. So this man – he was the imam of Gambaga – pleaded that they come here instead.’
Since the early 1960s, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana has supported the women by providing food, second-hand clothing and helping to repair their modest homes. ‘Around 1994, the church saw that they could do more,’ explains Reverend Gladys. ‘So they came up with a proposal – the main purpose was to reintegrate the women into their original communities, ensure their health needs are met, send their children to school and make life more comfortable for them here.’
The women of Gambaga camp clearly trust Reverend Gladys. As she moves through the settlement she greets the women by name, exchanging warm smiles and translating their stories with care.
‘We are here every morning,’ she tells me as an elderly woman approaches her with a gentle smile and a handshake. ‘We’re working hard now on the reintegration programme. Many women travel home to visit and return. Some of their family members even come here to see them.’
Still, stigma remains. For most of the women, their families refuse to visit.
Gambaga’s central location – at the heart of the village rather than tucked away – offers a greater degree of community integration. ‘They’re well integrated into Gambaga and the surrounding communities,’ says Reverend Gladys. ‘Sometimes, because of the humiliation and trauma they’ve endured, when you ask the women if they want to go home, some will say no.’
The cost of going home
Reintegration comes at a cost – both symbolic and financial. For the few women who eventually return, sometimes years or even decades after being accused, the process depends on a traditional ‘cleansing’ ritual intended to absolve them of alleged witchcraft. Performed by spiritual leaders, it typically involves the slaughter of a ram and a chicken, and can cost more than 1,000 Ghanaian cedis (around US$100).
But even with support, reintegration is far from straightforward. In many cases, no amount of spiritual absolution or mediation is enough to convince families or communities to accept a woman back. ‘Most of the communities say even the exorcism – we don’t believe in it, because once a witch, forever a witch,’ says Professor Azumah. ‘They [the communities] believe in the diagnosis, but not the cure. When the same priest declares a woman a witch, they believe him. But when he says, “I can perform a ritual to free her of the spirit,” they don’t believe that part.’
In Gambaga, the church often steps in. ‘When a woman wants to try to return home, we work on it,’ says Reverend Gladys. ‘But first she has to go through purification.’
For Ama Somani, a mother of eight, the church’s support changed everything. ‘I wanted death because it was too painful,’ she says, recalling her exile. She had been accused by her niece, who blamed her for a mysterious illness. A traditional ritual involving the slaughter of a guinea fowl found her guilty. With no one to defend her – her husband, a landlord in their community, remained absent – Ama spent four years in Gambaga, isolated and uncertain.
In April 2025, with help from the Presbyterian Church, she was finally reintegrated into her extended family in a nearby village. The church provided food rations and negotiated her return. Life remains difficult, she says, but she is overjoyed to be reunited with her children and loved ones.
Alongside the church, Professor Azumah and the Sanneh Institute, together with NGOs and human rights advocates, have worked tirelessly to reintegrate accused women across northern Ghana.
‘Sometimes the accuser has died, or the situation in the village has changed, and the woman can safely return,’ explains Azumah. ‘Sometimes the community or family regrets the accusation. They admit it came from jealousy or envy. They want the woman to come back. But first, she has to pay what I call the “discharge fee” – the cost of rituals to release her.’
These rituals, he adds, are what keep many women trapped. ‘Most can’t afford them. So even when they could return safely, they’re stuck because they can’t pay for the ceremony that would set them free.’ In some cases, as NGOs have stepped in to help, community leaders have raised prices, hoping donors will cover the costs. ‘They’ve inflated the fees astronomically,’ says Azumah. ‘And so, the cycle continues.’
Calling on Ghana’s president to sign the Anti-Witchcraft Bill during a Mother’s Day event at the Gnani camp
Despite these obstacles, organisations such as ActionAid Ghana and Songtaba have helped reintegrate hundreds of women. ‘Overall, we’ve reintegrated not less than 600 people into their communities over the past 15 years,’ says Esther Boateng, ActionAid Ghana’s regional manager for the Northern, Northeast and Savannah regions. ‘We identify their home communities, engage families and involve the entire community – the same community that accused them.’
In 2014, ActionAid worked with the Ministry of Gender to shut down the Bonyasi camp in the Central Gonja District after successfully reintegrating all of its residents. ‘We had to ensure their safety, so we combined community sensitisation, radio education and events like Mother’s Day celebrations to build acceptance,’ says Boateng. ‘We even built houses for some women returning home. It was a fully integrated programme, and today, Bonyasi camp no longer exists.’
Spirits, sickness and superstition
The persistence of witchcraft accusations in Ghana can’t be understood without acknowledging the deep-rooted belief in spirits, possession and supernatural causality – beliefs that shape how many Ghanaians interpret illness, misfortune and conflict.
During a visit to the stilt village of Nzulezu in Ghana’s Western Region in 2012, I witnessed just how deeply these convictions are held. One night, the wooden platform beneath me shuddered, waking me from sleep. Under a moonlit sky, I stepped outside the homestay hut and onto the creaking boardwalk. Across the water, silhouetted figures had gathered. Women wailed and chanted, a plume of smoke rising among them. A small child, wrapped in a blanket, was being passed gently from one person to another.
Curious and concerned, I asked what was happening. I was told the child had been possessed by an evil spirit.
Later, a man approached and asked if I could help. Unsure what to say, I suggested we take the child to the hospital to be tested for malaria. ‘No, no,’ he replied, shaking his head. ‘We need to take out the evil spirit.’ The ritual continued through the night.
Wuriche Bajimoin prepares dawadawa, a traditional West African seasoning made from locust bean seeds, in Gambaga camp
The next morning, I saw a relative of the boy and asked how he was doing. With a broad smile of relief, the man said, ‘He’s much better.’ I asked what had been wrong with him. ‘Malaria!’ he answered.
This brief encounter has stayed with me for years. It revealed how central spiritual explanations are to daily life, and how illness and affliction are often viewed through a supernatural lens. In that context, it becomes easier to understand how, in moments of unexplained tragedy or fear, suspicion turns towards someone believed to possess malevolent power. Often, that someone is an older woman without protection.
Belief in witchcraft is very strong, Professor Azumah tells me. ‘Medical doctors believe it; police officers believe it. Even judges believe it.’
Hope, and a way forward
What has struck me most on each visit to the camps of northern Ghana is the remarkable resilience of the women who live there. Despite the extreme hardship and the isolation of exile – not just from society, but often from their own families – the women maintain a quiet strength. Even in the face of rejection and poverty, the joyful spirit so beautifully woven into Ghanaian culture endures. ‘Happiness is free,’ one woman told me with a smile.
Now, for the first time in years, there is a glimmer of hope. In March 2025, Ghana’s parliament reintroduced a landmark piece of legislation: the Anti-Witchcraft Bill. If passed, it would outlaw the naming or accusing of someone as a witch, criminalise the spiritual consultations that often lead to accusations, hold ritual practitioners legally accountable and empower police and social workers to intervene. Crucially, it also lays the groundwork for reintegration programmes to support survivors returning to society.
The bill had previously passed parliament in July 2023 as an amendment to the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, but Ghana’s former president refused to sign it into law. Reintroduced under a new administration, the bill is now scheduled for debate – what campaigners describe as a final, pivotal opportunity for change.
According to the bill, its primary objective is ‘to address the unfortunate beliefs and thinking in some communities that make Madam Akua Denteh’s case possible’. Her brutal murder in 2020 sparked national outrage and galvanised public support for reform.
The bill acknowledges that belief in witchcraft is not unique to Ghana. It cites England’s 1735 Witchcraft Act, which criminalised accusing someone of magical powers, and underscores the importance of public education and cultural transformation. ‘Now witchcraft isn’t illegal in the UK, but the level of enlightenment is such that witchcraft is generally viewed with amusement, if not ridicule.’
An exiled young woman in Gambaga camp
Civil society organisations, including ActionAid Ghana, Songtaba and the Sanneh Institute, have long advocated for these reforms, leading public awareness campaigns and pushing for legal protection of accused women. Amnesty International has also urged parliament to pass the bill without delay, warning that continued inaction leaves hundreds of women at risk of violence and abuse.
While many are hopeful that the current president will sign the bill if passed again, doubts persist. ‘It’s not a vote winner,’ says Professor Azumah.
Even after the widespread condemnation that followed Akua Denteh’s murder, resistance to reform remains entrenched. ‘We have our own conspiracy theories,’ Azumah says in response to the previous president’s refusal to sign the bill. ‘We believe there are powerful religious figures and some chiefs working behind the scenes to block it.’
Those fears haven’t disappeared. ‘That’s our concern with the current president, too,’ he continues. ‘If the bill is passed again and those chiefs and religious leaders start to pressure him behind closed doors, we might never even know. Politicians want votes. And they fear that pushing this through could hurt them in the next election.’
Among advocates, there is cautious optimism. Passing the bill is only the beginning. Real change will require coordinated implementation, sustained funding and a long-term commitment from both the government and civil society.
A child at the Gambaga camp. Children often accompany their mother or grandmothers into exile and are vulnerable to exploitation, with some reports of sexual abuse. They also face stigma and bullying at school, leading many to drop out
Even the bill itself acknowledges these challenges: ‘Legislation on such a subject may not immediately eliminate the problem, but it provides an awareness and a deterrent, which, if handled with the requisite public education and sensitisation, can eradicate the practice.’
‘I think the passage of the legislation will significantly reduce the accusations,’ says Professor Azumah. ‘And over time, it will die out.’
‘The accusation is the beginning of everything,’ he adds. ‘If we stop it at the source, we can begin to address the issue. We’re not going to relent. We will keep pushing until this bill becomes law.’
A nation at a crossroads
Ghana now stands at a crossroads. The debate over the Anti-Witchcraft Bill is not only about superstition, but also about women’s rights, state responsibility and the power of law to reshape cultural norms.
For survivors like Bachalbanueya, the bill may come too late to restore what was lost. But whether Ghana chooses to act now, or allows fear and silence to prevail, will determine not only the fate of women like her, but the moral direction of the nation itself.
Referring to my recent October 24 post on the same topic, Lagos Calls for United African Action Against Ritual Killings, I draw attention to the below presented article in Liberia‘s leading newspaper, Front Page Africa. It is encouraging that more and more people are so worried about the scourge of ritual killings on the continent, demanding an end to these cruel, inhumane, outdated and criminal practices. (webmaster FVDK).
Bishop Kortu Brown Calls for Africa-wide Campaign to End Ritualistic Killings at Pepperdine University Human Trafficking Colloquium in Nigeria
Published: October 27, 2025 By: Front Page Africa, Liberia
Brewerville – Faith leaders have been challenged to become agents of change by organizing themselves into a Campaign across the Continent of Africa to ward-off the practice of ritualistic killing and human sacrifice.
The call was made by Bishop Kortu K. Brown, the president of Liberia Council of Churches in Lagos, Nigeria on Friday, October 24, 2025 during a 2-day Colloquium organized by the Sudreau Global Justice Institute at Pepperdine University based in California, USA and Nigeria’s Lagos State Ministry of Justice in the inaugural 2025 Africa Colloquium Against Human Trafficking: A United Front Against Ritual Abuse and Sacrifice.
Bishop Brown who spoke at the fourth session of the colloquium which was intended to explore the role of faith leaders and civil society in combating ritual abuse and sacrifice. The session examined the spiritual dimensions of the practice, including the influence of mysticism and the involvement of traditional healers, witch doctors and diviners in the act of ritual abuse and sacrifice.
The session presented Christian and Muslim perspectives that strongly denounce ritual abuse and sacrifice and emphasized the importance of faith leaders in guiding ethical responses and mobilizing their communities, amongst others.
“This is a serious fight”, Bishop Brown asserted, “and it is as old as Africa itself. If we must address, we must properly mobilize and organize religious leaders across the continent to lead a campaign at the regional, national and community levels to stem the practices of ritualistic killings and human sacrifice in Africa”, he added. The faith actors at the gathering reminded participants that the holy books abhor evil including the shedding of innocent blood and that religious leaders are required by Scriptures to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves, defend the rights of the destitute and the rights of the poor and needy according to Proverbs Chapter 31 verses 8 and 9.
On the question of why ritual abuse and sacrifice is so prevalent in countries with strong Christian and Muslim demographics, Bishop Brown attributed it to many followers of Christianity lacking full faith in God, desiring quick solutions and the beliefs, practices and norms of local communities where they reside that they have not excused themselves, amongst others.
“One of the elements of culture that trigger ritual abuse and sacrifice is the belief that the acts bring benefits”, he said, arguing that “many people believe that ritual abuse and sacrifice can bring them good fortunes, children, appease deities for opportunities, good harvest, victory during electoral processes, etc”
“In Liberia”, he argued, “every time there is an election, stories of ritualistic killings and missing people abound everywhere”. He referenced the campaign he led about four years ago in the country when reports of missing persons were being reported everywhere. (italics added by the webmaster, FVDK).
“People want power but they want other people’s children’s blood to be used to help them acquire political power. This is wrong”, he said, adding, religious leaders must rise across the continent and confront this menace through community sensitization, challenging harmful practices, reframing beliefs and norms, supporting victims and collaborating with other actors to address the practice.”
The organizers, in a statement to participants, hope that the event will mark a critical moment for the future of human trafficking on the African continent. The Executive Director of Sudreau Global Justice Institute, Prof. Cameron McCollum and Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State of Nigeria, Honorable Lawal Pedro San, FCIArb further hoped that the colloquium provided a space for leaders, advocates, practitioners and policymakers to develop strategies to eliminate ritual abuse and sacrifice in Africa and beyond.
The conference was attended by about 200 persons from more than 15 countries in Africa and the United States. The results of the colloquium will be analyzed and reviewed by participants to final a roadmap to deterring ritual abuse and sacrifice across the continent.
Liberia was represented by Church Aid Inc. (CAI) and the Human Trafficking Task Force of Liberia based at the Ministry of Labor of Liberia.
This is not a case of ritual murder but there are two reasons why I chose to post this article. First, the phenomenon of superstition entrenched in traditional practices. The victim, who was accidentally killed, believed that he could obtain a protection against bullets. I’m afraid that during the back-to-back civil wars that raged in Liberia between 1989 and 2003 many more men have undergone this ritual in order to become ‘bulletproof’. Secondly, it is always good to focus on cases of upholding the rule of law in a country which is not known for its impartial justice but where – unfortunately – impunity reigns – at least for the perpetrators of war crimes and human rights violations. (webmaster FVDK).
Traditional Healer Jailed Five Years for Manslaughter in Nimba County
Published: October 5, 2025 By: Nyantee S. Togba – The Liberian Investigator
SANNIQUELLIE, Nimba County — A traditional healer identified as Madiswon Gaye, popularly known as “Dao-Dao,” has been sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter in connection with the death of a man during a failed gun protection ritual.
The Eighth Judicial Circuit Court in Sanniquellie found Gaye guilty of negligently causing the death of a 32-year-old man while performing what he described as a traditional “bulletproof” preparation. The ruling has reignited debate over the safety and regulation of traditional healing practices in rural Liberia.
Ritual Turns Fatal
According to court records, Gaye conducted the ritual and later fired a gun as part of the protective demonstration, fatally shooting the victim. The court determined that his actions were reckless and violated Liberian law, despite being rooted in customary beliefs.
During the hearing, Gaye expressed remorse for the killing, telling reporters, “I am sorry. This was a mistake. I ask the court and the family for forgiveness.”
Judge: Culture No Defense for Crime
Presiding Judge Papa Suah said the evidence clearly established Gaye’s responsibility for the fatal act, emphasizing that cultural traditions cannot excuse unlawful conduct.
“The law is clear—no cultural or traditional practice can justify the taking of a life,” the judge said before handing down the sentence.
County Attorney John Miah welcomed the verdict, describing it as proof of the judiciary’s commitment to upholding the law while respecting Liberia’s diverse traditions.
“This decision shows that even within traditional practices, human life must remain paramount,” Miah said.
Calls for Regulation of Traditional Healers
The case has sparked renewed calls for regulation of traditional healers in Nimba County, where herbal medicine and spiritual rituals remain widespread alternatives to modern healthcare.
Local health officials have urged the Ministry of Health and the Traditional Council to strengthen oversight and provide training to practitioners to prevent future tragedies.
Members of the victim’s family, though still mourning their loss, said they were satisfied with the court’s ruling, calling it “a step toward justice and accountability within Liberia’s traditional health system.”
Witchcraft accusations are not uncommon in Liberia – nor in other African countries, as can be read in my recent post of August 18 and older posts.
I’ve commented in older posts on the outdated practice of witchcraft accusations and related maltreatment, sassywood practices (trial by ordeal) and mob justice. For briefness sake I present here some of my earlier posts on this subject. The reader is warned that some graphic details may be shocking.
Accusations of witchcraft are not limited to a particular area, county, town, village or tribe, as the following lists shows. Moreover, it must be emphasized that reported cases are usually the tip of an iceberg. It must be feared that many cases remain unreported.
As elaborated further in the article presented below, the human rights situation in Liberia, as reported by the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) in its 2024 Human Rights Situation Report, is very worrisome with severe human rights violations across the country. Notably, I quote, “The report (…) condemned the continuation of harmful traditional practices, particularly female genital mutilation (FGM), trial by ordeal, and ritual killings. Despite calls from both the government and traditional leaders to end these practices, they remain rampant (….)” Unquote.
Ritual killings, trial by ordeal (‘sassy wood trial’) and witchcraft accusations are persistent problems in Liberia and on many occasions I have drawn attention to these practices, reporting on particular ritual murder cases. In the recent past there have only been a few reported cases of ritual violence including murder but, as the 2024 Human Rights Situation Report of the INCHR demonstrates, this does not mean that the ugly practice of killing human beings for ‘juju’ purposes, traditional trials by ordeal and witchcraft accusations have vanished – unfortunately not.
It is interesting to note that the INCHR categorizes ritual killings as a traditional practice. It is a fact, that the origin of killing for ritual purposes (to obtain ‘juju’) in Liberia goes back to the history of certain tribal communities, but Liberia’s recent past contains an abundance of ritual murders which were committed because of sheer greed and which are hardly distinguishable from ordinary criminal acts including abduction, torture and murder.
The one million dollar question that emerges is of course: ‘Why are there still ritual murderers in Liberia, why hasn’t the phenomenon of ritual killings disappeared?
He/she who knowns the answer should speak. (webmaster FVDK)
Liberia: INCHR 2024 Report Highlights Alarming Human Rights Violations in Liberia
Published: March 28, 2025 By: Front Page Africa, Liberia
Monrovia-The 2024 Human Rights Situation Report released by the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) has shed light on severe human rights violations across Liberia, pointing to troubling trends that persist despite some positive efforts in certain sectors.
The report, presented by INCHR Chairperson Cllr. Dempster Brown, paints a concerning picture of the state of human rights in Liberia, with key violations spanning state security brutality, prolonged pretrial detention, gender-based violence, and the continued prevalence of harmful traditional practices.
State Security Brutality and Excessive Use of Force
The most pressing concern raised in the report is the brutality of state security forces. Instances of excessive use of force by law enforcement, often leading to deaths, have continued to occur with alarming frequency.
One such incident highlighted in the report was the killing of a 17-year-old student by a police officer on July 1, in Paynesville City.
The officer was involved in a confrontation with a suspect, and in an attempt to restrain the individual, he discharged his weapon, fatally injuring the student. Despite the officer being arrested and charged with murder, this case underscores a broader issue of unchecked violence by state security forces.
Prolonged Pretrial Detention and Judicial Delays
Another critical violation addressed in the report is the widespread issue of prolonged pretrial detention. Many individuals are held in detention for extended periods without trial, contributing to overcrowding in Liberia’s prisons.
These delays are further compounded by a shortage of judicial officers in rural areas, preventing timely adjudication of cases.
Prolonged Pretrial Detention and Judicial Delays
Another critical violation addressed in the report is the widespread issue of prolonged pretrial detention. Many individuals are held in detention for extended periods without trial, contributing to overcrowding in Liberia’s prisons.
These delays are further compounded by a shortage of judicial officers in rural areas, preventing timely adjudication of cases.
This backlog in the judicial system according to the report, has led to a growing distrust in the country’s ability to deliver justice.
Gender-Based Violence and Rape
The INCHR report also expressed grave concern over the persistence of gender-based violence (GBV), with rape cases, particularly those involving minors, remaining a constant threat.
Despite ongoing efforts to address this issue, there has been no significant reduction in the prevalence of sexual violence, with victims often left without adequate protection or recourse to justice.
Harmful Traditional Practices
The report further condemned the continuation of harmful traditional practices, particularly female genital mutilation (FGM), trial by ordeal, and ritual killings. (italics added by the webmaster) Despite calls from both the government and traditional leaders to end these practices, they remain rampant, with young girls being particularly vulnerable. The practice of FGM, in particular, continues to impact young children who are often subjected to the procedure at the expense of their education and well-being.
Enforced Disappearances and Extrajudicial Killings
The issue of enforced disappearances was also highlighted, with the case of Abrahima Kalil Cherif standing out.
Cherif, who was arrested in 2024, was reported missing after being detained at the Monrovia Central Prison. His case, along with other instances of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, points to serious lapses in Liberia’s adherence to both national and international human rights standards.
The appalling conditions in Liberia’s prisons were another critical area of concern. Overcrowding, lack of medical care, and the rampant spread of diseases like tuberculosis and hepatitis B have created a dire situation for inmates.
The report stressed that the prolonged pretrial detention system exacerbates these conditions, placing detainees at severe risk of health complications.
Child Protection and Violations in Concession Areas
Additionally, the report said children in Liberia remain vulnerable to exploitation, with widespread reports of child labor, sexual violence, and even torture.
“Children accused of witchcraft are often subjected to public humiliation and violence, highlighting the need for stronger child protection measures. Additionally, the report pointed to violence in concession areas, where communities protesting against poor conditions have been met with deadly force from state security, leading to significant human rights abuses,” the report added.
Call for Immediate Action
In light of these grave violations, the INCHR has called for government immediate action to address the issues raised in the report.
The Commission has further recommended Investigations into all killings by state and non-state actors, with appropriate accountability, Expedited reforms to address the backlog in the judicial system and alleviate overcrowding in prisons, the criminalization of harmful traditional practices such as FGM and trial by ordeal, strengthened protections for women and children, particularly in the areas of gender-based violence and child labor and Enhanced oversight of law enforcement agencies to ensure accountability for misconduct.
Meanwhile, the 2024 INCHR report underscores the urgent need for reforms in Liberia’s approach to human rights, noting that continued violations, particularly those involving state security forces, judicial delays, gender-based violence, and harmful traditional practices, demand immediate attention from the government.
The INCHR said that without significant changes, Liberia risks undermining its commitment to human rights, both domestically and on the international stage.
In an apparent move to abolish or at least to restrict these traditional ways of administering justice the government has tried to restrict the powers of traditional chiefs by reducing the powers of traditional chiefs in a revised Local Government Act.
Such changes are not welcomed by the traditional chiefs as the following articles describes very well. Between the lines one can read that trial by ordeal is common in Liberia, a conclusion which hardly surprises. After all, the power of the central government is concentrated in the capital Monrovia and – maybe – also in the county capitals, but deep in the interior of Africa’s oldest independent state traditional chiefs rule. This explains their resistance.
Chiefs Vexed with Ban on Trials by Ordeal Ministry of Internal Affairs cites “lack of evidence” in witchcraft cases
Chiefs and Ministry of Internal Affairs officials having a brief meeting on Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Published: August 9, 2024 By: Daily Observer, Liberia
If you thought the idea of “witch-hunting” in Liberia was just a metaphor to describe the ruling party’s alleged attempts to clamp down on and frustrate opposition elements, think again. Now, those who are actually in the business of determining who the actual witches are, have been ordered to stop.
Scores of traditional chiefs and elders attending the Ministry of Internal Affairs National Orientation Workshop are disenchanted over the reduction of their powers in the revised Local Government Act. The chiefs expressed their disappointment over the situation as many of their traditional powers are now transferred to the county’s culture coordinator.
The new regulations restrict the chiefs from practices such as administering sassy wood or conducting trials by ordeal on persons accused of witchcraft.
During a presentation on the topic, Roles of County Council and the National Council of Chiefs, most of the responsibilities of the chiefs were scrapped, as the presenters ordered the chiefs to “stop giving sassy wood or trial by ordeal to anyone accused of being involved in witchcraft activities.
“All Zoe activities and traditional issues will strictly be handled or monitored by the culture coordinator and then make a report to the County Superintendent,” said Assistant Minister Emmanuel Wheinyue, one of the presenters.
The chiefs voiced their frustration at the workshop, highlighting that their roles have been significantly diminished by the recent legislative changes.
Chief James Peh Ssyan of River Gee County explained that since 1847, the roles of chiefs in the country have been immersed, in terms of settling disputes in their respective chiefdoms. Now, he said, the new law is mainly designed to scrap the chiefs of their powers.
“Why do you, the book people, want to trick us, when we were elected by the elders and we used to preside over cases surrounding zoes, witchcraft activity and now you are coming to say we cannot handle matters,” Chief Ssyan asked.
Paramount Chief Domah of Nimba County asked for a description of their (chiefs’) new responsibilities, where witchcraft cases surrounding his district are concerned. The response from the presenter was that, since there is no evidence in witchcraft cases, someone who feels bewitched should go to court with his or her evidence.
Additionally, the revised Local Government Act requires chiefs to report to the district commissioner monthly, emphasizing advisory roles for paramount chiefs instead of adjudicating cases.
Even though the roles and responsibilities of the Chiefs are not spelled out, the Ministry of Internal Affairs asked all chiefs to write a report to the district commissioner every month.
The elimination of traditional practices like sassy wood rituals has sparked concerns among some attendees, who fear an increase in witchcraft activities with the abolition of customary methods.
The workshop concluded with the election of various council officials and preparations for the upcoming election of the National Council of Chiefs.
Meanwhile, day four of the conference climaxed with the election of the superintendent council and city mayor council, respectively.
The superintendents elected Nimba County Supt. Kou Meapeh Gono as Chairperson of the Supt. Council with a three-year term, while Gbarnga City Mayor was elected Chairperson of the Mayors’ Council for a term of two years.
Mr. John Alexander Nyahn Jr. was also elected as head of the County Council Union.
Internal Affairs Minister Francis Nyumalin had a series of banquets, first for the 15 city mayors representing their counties’ capitals and on Wednesday, he prepared another banquet for 45 chiefs who had come to Ganta to participate in the event.
Meanwhile, the election for officials of the National Council of Chiefs is expected to be held on Friday, August 9, 2024.
The event gathered over 350 participants, including government officials and chiefs from across the country. These include 15 superintendents, 15 county administrative officers, 15 development officers, 15 fiscal affairs officers, 15 county council heads, all the 15 service centers’ heads, 45 chiefs, and top-level officials of the Internal Affairs Ministry, among others.
Changes come slowly, if any, in Liberia. I know this relatively sparsely populated West African country and its 5.5 million people pretty well after following events and developments in this fascinating and sympathetic country since 1975. I have posted earlier on the topic of trial by ordeal, commonly called ‘sassywood trial’ in Liberia, which of course is forbidden, outlawed, but unfortunately persistent in local culture and the minds of superstitious people. See e.g. my post of August 29, 2020, on a woman in neighboring Grand Gedeh County who had died after reportedly taking ‘sassywood’ to clear her from witchcraft accusations.
Nimba County is located in northeastern Liberia and borders French-speaking Guinea and Ivory Coast (at least, the official language, of course the various ethnic groups speak their own languages). It cannot be ruled out, rather it is to be expected, that age-old traditions such as trial by ordeal also occurs in neighboring countries where the same ethnic groups including the Dan, also known as Gio and Mano, live. (FVDK)
Liberia: Trial By Ordeal Reportedly Kills Six In Nimba County
Published: July 24, 2024 By: Jerry T. Myers, FrontPageAfrica
GBLOR DIALAH, Nimba – A woman identified as Golon Kruah, a resident of Dialah Town, reportedly died after consuming a substance given to her by an Ivorian traditional witchdoctor, Gweh Genlaly. The witchdoctor was brought to the town by local citizens to cleanse the area of witchcraft activities.
Gweh Genlaly administered sassywood to the woman after she allegedly confessed to being involved in witchcraft activities that had claimed several lives and caused suffering to others. According to an eyewitness who spoke on condition of anonymity, the sassywood was given to the deceased overnight. She died hours later and was immediately buried before the arrival of security personnel and local district leaders, who were alerted about the incident in the morning.
The Acting Paramount Chief of Gblor Clan, Oksen Troh, said he had earlier warned the witchdoctor and the youth hosting her in the community against administering sassywood. However, they violated his order and went ahead with the ritual overnight.
Mr. Troh explained that his refusal to allow the administration of sassywood was based on instructions from the County Administrative Officer, who had banned trial by ordeal in Liberia. After his objection, the citizens wrote a resolution to Mr. Daniel Zekpeh, the County Administrative Officer, during his visit to the clan. Zekpeh instructed them to give the document to Troh, but it was not given to him due to his strong opposition to sassywood.
Troh said late on Monday night, they brought a document to him to sign, authorizing them to administer the oath to Golon, but he refused. He was shocked to hear that a woman had died in the community after being given sassywood overnight, prompting him to call the police and the district commissioner.
Acting Paramount Chief Troh disclosed that Golon’s death brings the number of people who have died in Gblor Clan after taking an oath from the witchdoctor to six. He clarified that previous incidents were concealed and not reported to the police by the community, and he could not report them because he was not in authority at the time. (italics added by the webmaster FVDK.)
“In the first place, Gweh working here is not a bad thing, but I received an order from my CI [County Inspector] the other time. He told me that I should tell Gweh not to give an oath. She must cut sand, she must arrest witchcraft, she must treat people to get well, but she must not give an oath because the oath she gives can kill somebody, and Liberia law says nobody should kill someone. So Liberia law doesn’t agree with that oath,” Mr. Troh explained in Liberian colloquial.
He said upon learning about the woman’s death, he immediately informed the district commissioner of the incident and was instructed to inform Gweh and her followers to keep the body of the woman until authorities arrived to conduct tests before burial. However, to his surprise, the town hurriedly buried the woman before the district commissioner and the district coroner arrived.
Meanwhile, the ten men who signed the document authorizing Gweh to conduct the sassywood have been invited for questioning.
Trial by ordeal, known as ‘sassywood,’ is banned under national law but is still regarded as a legitimate form of justice by many Liberians. In this ritual, a suspect is subjected to intense pain and judged based on their reaction. Sometimes, a hot metal is used on the person’s leg, if it burns, they are found guilty. Sometimes poisonous liquid is used. If it kills the person, they are judged to be witch.
The UN has repeatedly warned that the practice undermines efforts to improve human rights in Liberia, as the country attempts to recover from 14 years of war.
Many legal specialists and human rights activists argue that the reliance on customs such as trial by ordeal—often harmful and even deadly—is due to the decrepit state of Liberia’s judicial system. They also contend that not enough is being done to restore the sector, which was left in tatters by the war.
It’s a tradition based on superstition and probably as old as humankind: to blame misfortune, an accident, bad harvest or a disease on a weaker person in society who then has to prove not being guilty of the accusation by drinking a poison. When surviving the ordeal the accused proves to be innocent. However, death confirms his or her assumed guilt.
In Angola the reported deadly ‘trial by ordeall’ in Angola caused the death of more than 50 innocent people accused of being sorcerers. These practices must be stopped! (FVDK)
The witch-trials of Angola: Mass ritual killing as 50 are poisoned to death after being forced to drink mysterious herbal potion to prove they were not sorcerers
Around 50 people died after being made to drink a herbal poison
They were forced to prove they weren’t sorcerers
Politicians accused traditional healers of making the deadly herbal drink
Published: March 14, 2024 By: Perkin Amalaraj – Daily Mail, UK
About 50 people have died in Angola after being forced to drink an herbal potion to prove they were not sorcerers, police and local officials said on Thursday.
The deaths occurred between January and February near the central town of Camacupa, according to Luzia Filemone, a local councillor.
Speaking to the national radio broadcaster, she accused traditional healers of administering the deadly concoction.
‘More than 50 victims were forced to drink this mysterious liquid which, according to traditional healers, proves whether or not a person practices witchcraft,’ said Filemone.
Belief in witchcraft is still common in some rural communities, despite a strong opposition from the church in the predominantly Catholic former Portuguese colony.
About 50 people have died in Angola after being forced to drink an herbal potion to prove they were not sorcerers (File image)
Angola does not have laws against witchcraft, leaving communities to deal with the issue as they see fit
The deaths were confirmed by police that said 50 people were killed.
‘It’s a widespread practice to make people drink the supposed poison because of the belief in witchcraft,’ provincial police spokesman Antonio Hossi told the broadcaster, warning cases were on the rise.
Angola does not have laws against witchcraft, leaving communities to deal with the issue as they see fit.
Allegations of sorcery are often settled by traditional healers, or ‘marabouts’, by having the accused ingest a toxic herbal drink called ‘Mbulungo’. Death is thought to prove guilt.
It may be qualified as normal that parents are worried when one of their childen is missing and it’s also quite normal when neighbors and relatives share in these emotions and help in searching for the missing child. In Bong County, residents took to the streets and even stormed the police headquarters on February 5 after a 9-year old boy, little Moses Vesselee, was reported missing the previous day.
A community leader expressed the generally felt fear that the situation might be caused by a ritualistic killing. After all, in Bong County ritualistic killings are no exception.
In recent years several murders for ostensibly ritual purposes have been reported, mutilated bodies of victims (often young children) have been found. In 2017, a year when presidential and general elections were held, there were demonstrations in this vote-rich county against the reported surge in ritualistic killings.
On February 8, the body of little Moses Vesselee, commonly known Kuwai, was found in an open pit. The coroner concluded that the little boy had died from drowning, hence no ‘foul play’.
Be that as it may – and let’s hope the coroner’s conclusions are warranted and there was indeed no foul play – the incident shows once more the persistent problem of ritualistic killing in this West African country. The reader is reminded of Dr. Alan White’s testimony before the US Congress, in 2023. In his testimony, Dr. White, the former Chief Investigator of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, elaborated on the phenomenon of ritualistic murders in Liberia, and he linked the Weah Administration – replaced in January 2024 – to extrajudicial, ritualistic killings (see below for details).
Concluding, the anger and frustration of the Bong County residents who stormed the police headquarters may thus have become clear. Let’s hope that there is never again reason to reproach the police a slow response or lack of action, and let’s hope that no more ritualistic murders will take place.
Only the future will tell if this hope is justified.
Warning: the articles presented below contain graphic contents and pictures which may upset readers (FVDK).
Bong County: 9-year-old boy goes missing – residents storm Police’s HQs for speedy investigation
Published: February 8, 2024 By: J. Peter S. Dennis – News Public Trust, Liberia
GBARNGA, Liberia- Angry residents of Rubber Factory Community on have stormed the Headquarters of the Liberia National Police Bong County Detachment to intervene in the search of a missing nine-year-old child some 198 kilometers from Monrovia.
According to the furious citizens in this central city, Little Moses Vesselee commonly known as Kuwai, went missing during the afternoon hours of Sunday, February 4, 2024.
He and his parents including Church members had gone to dig sand at the bank of Jor River in Gbarnga. The Jor River is noted for its illegal and unregulated sand mining activities in Bong County.
Speaking on behalf of the angry citizens, Mr. Adolphus Kpana, the community leader and a resident, Clarence Sally, expressed fear that any delay in the search of Little Kuwai Vesselee might lead to an undesirable situation while reflecting on several reported ritualistic killings of minors in Bong County (italics and bold letter type added by the webmaster FVDK).
“We want you join us to look for the child. We’re against this act. We want our son,” they said.
“Any action of us not finding our son, the citizens will inspect every car leading to and fro Monrovia. We will not take this likely” they warned.
The Rubber Factory Community residents openly petitioned the Liberia National Police Bong County Detachment through its Assistant Commissioner of Police, Fasu V. Sherriff to investigate and intervene towards the search of the mysterious disappearance of the 9-yr-old boy.
The concerned citizens were seen with placards saying: “Please stop the ritualistic killing in Bong; We want our son to be freed; the killing must stop, release our son.” (italics and bold letter type added by the webmaster FVDK).
In remarks, Sherriff said he and his men have instituted all security measures since they obtained information regarding the disappearance of little Moses Vesselee and expressed hope of finding the child alive.
He however, called on residents of Rubber Factory community to assist the police with vital information in the discharge of their investigation.
“We started since this morning looking for the boy as soon as we got the tipoff. We are sharing the information with our colleagues to find the boy alive. We want you to provide additional information to do our work. We need your cooperation,” Sheriff said.
Investigation into circumstances surrounding the child’s mysterious disappearance continues.
After four days the missing 9-year old boy was found dead:
Liberia: Missing Child, Moses, Found Dead in Sand Mining Deposit in Gbarnga As Police in Gbarnga say, an investigation is continuing into the mysterious death of the little child
The late Moses T.K. Vesselee, age 9, was found dead in a sand mining deposit, 5ft 10 inches deep, with bruises on his head and his skin peeling.
Published: February 8, 2024 By: Patrick S. Tokpah – Daily Observer, Liberia
After being missing for four days, 9-year-old Moses T.K. Vesselee was discovered dead in Rubber Factory Community in Gbarnga, Bong County.
Popularly known in the community as Kuwai, Little Moses’ corpse was discovered on February 7, 2024, near the Jor River in the Rubber Factory Community, Gbarnga City. The 9-year-old boy’s remains were discovered in a sand mining deposit, about 5ft 10 inches deep, with bruises on his head while the outer layer of his skin was peeled or removed.
The deceased went missing on Sunday, February 4, 2024, at about 3:00 pm when he and his parents, along with other church members, had all gone to mine sand along the Jor River in the community.
Residents of the community in Gbarnga, Bong County, on February 5, 2024, stormed the headquarters of the Liberia National Police Bong County Detachment to intervene in the search for a missing nine-year-old child.
They expressed fear that delays in the search of the boy might lead to an undesirable situation reflective of circumstances involving the killings of other children in the county without the alleged perpetrators being brought to book.
Meanwhile, upon the discovery of Kuwai’s body on Wednesday, a 15-man jury constituted by the LNP Bong County CSD Department examined the body and reported “no foul” played, thereby instructing family members of the victim to immediately interrogate his remains. The coroner jury report further revealed that Little Vesselee died from drowning.
Furthermore, family members of the late Moses T.K. Vesselee, in a remorseful mood, concurred with the jury’s report but scapegoated police officers in the county over their delay in investigating the whereabouts of their 9-year-old son.
Moreover, Police in Gbarnga say an investigation is continuing into the mysterious death of the little child
Prior to his death, Moses was a 5th-grade student at Community House Elementary and Junior High School, located in the Rubber Factory community of Gbarnga.
Some of the recent ritual murder cases in Bong County:
2015:
Girl, 11 found dead with missing body parts Date: January 22, 2015 Published by: The New Dawn, Liberia
The decomposed body of an 11-year-old girl, who went missing in the Frank Joe Community in Gbarnga, Bong County has been found with several body parts allegedly extracted.
Sunday afternoon, 18 January, 2015 was a scene of grief and consternation in Gbarnga as the minor’s corpse was discovered along the bank of the Jor River in the central Liberia provincial capital.
Little Dailey Gbapue’s body parts, including vagina, ears, and nose were all reported missing when the body was discovered.
A relative of the deceased, Salome Gbapue, narrated that the little girl was sent by a neighbor of the community last week Wednesday afternoon, 14 January to go and buy something, but never return only to discover her dead body four days later with body parts reportedly missing.
She continued that they had to bury the little girl by the river bank because the body was almost decayed.
Miss Gbapue said a man only identified as Oldman had informed her that he knew the whereabouts of little Dailey Gbapue and she asked him to led her to the location, which he failed to do.
She said police have since arrested and detained Oldman and the female community resident, who sent the deceased on the errand.
Police in Bong County have confirmed the arrest and launched an intensive investigation into the incident.
Many residents are linking the death of little Dailey Gbapue to ‘heart man’ or ritualistic activities. Though dead bodies had been discovered in Gbarnga, especially in the Jor River in recent years, were no reports of body parts missing.
Bong County residents have called on police in the county to launch thorough investigation into the matter and bring the perpetrator to justice.
The death of little Dailey Gbapue has created fear in several quarters in the county with some expressing that this might be a return of ritualistic killings for power.
3-yr-old missing child found dead with several body parts missing Published: February 23, 2016 By: Ramsey N. Singbeh, Jr. in Margibi-Edited by Jonathan Browne – The New Dawn, Liberia
Mr. Jackson father of missing boy, A three-year-old boy has been mysteriously found dead in Kpatolee Clan, Salala District, lower Bong County.
The late Jacob Jackson was found dead on Thursday, February 18, 2016 with several parts extracted from his body after he had gone missing on 11 February in his parents’ garden. His lifeless body was discovered in a little water called Nanei about five minutes’ walk from his parents’ garden in a swamp.
Among parts that were missing from the lad’s body include eyes, nose, tongue and esophagus as well as his penis. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, February 20, the secretary of a 15-member jury only identified as Morris, explained the body was found lying on its back, completely naked with skin on forehead removed.
Morris also narrated they saw the area where the body was forcibly pushed and dragged into the water, but said no one has been linked to the gruesome death of little Jacob Jackson. He accused authorities of Kpatolee Clan of denying family of the deceased and community residents the opportunity to search houses in the area because news had earlier come that the boy was still alive in one of the houses in the community.
He said authorities of the clan prevented youth, including himself from erecting road block to draw the attention of central government. Morris recalled that on 14 February two strange guys were arrested with some drugs and turned over to the local authorities, but the suspects claimed they were in search of a local herb called country spot.
He said the guys were arrested with blade, toothbrush and flashlight in the same surrounding where the late Jacob went missing. “Of the two men, one claimed to have come from Kakata while the other said he came from Salala.”
He said they were immediately arrested and turned over to the police in Salala and subsequently sent to jail, but wants the suspects brought to justice. One resident of Salala who spoke on anonymity, said the child went missing in an area where his father was present and working the very day, but was reluctant to carry out a search despite pressure from his wife.
However, the boy’s mother continuously cried on him to help her find the child, and without getting his cooperation, reported the matter to residents of the town who compared him to stop work and join his wife to look for their son.
Mr. Jackson refused to speak to the press on the mysterious death of his son.
2017 was an election year. In Liberia an election year often means an increase in ritualistic killings.
In August 2017, Bong County citizens took to the streets to protest against the reported surge in ritualistic murders. A leading Liberian newspaper, FrontPage Africa, published an alarming article on this citizens’ protest, Vote-Rich Liberian County Protests Election Year Ritualistic Killings’ which I posted.
Bong County citizens protest against ritualistic killings.
On October 15, 2021 the Liberia National Police gave a press briefing on the ritualistic killing in Bong County (and other national issues) which can be downloaded on YouTube, see below.
Screenshot. To watch the Liberia National Police Press Briefing on the Ritualist act in Bong County and other National Issues, please click here
Front Page Africa, October 15, 2021 reporting on the murder of a 21-year woman for ritualistic purposes.
The preceding overview does not pretend to be complete. Its main purpose is to demonstrate that the anger and fear of the residents of Bong County after 9-year old Kuwai Vesselee got missing was warranted.
