Benue: Mob Beats 80-yr-old Man To Death Over Witchcraft Allegation

An over 80-year-old man, Ordue Ikye, has allegedly been beaten to death by a mob after he was accused of using witchcraft to cause the death of a younger relative in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State.

Ikye was reportedly attacked at about 7 pm last Sunday at Tse-Ikye, Gbemacha Council Ward, Mbavior, Mbasar, following the death of Aker Aleva, a man in his 30s.

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW), which petitioned the Benue State Commissioner of Police over the incident, said Aleva had reportedly gone out to watch football and complained of a headache while returning home before collapsing.

The petition, signed by its Director, Dr Leo Igwe, also indicated that Aleva was taken to a hospital in Ikpayongo but later died, after which Ikye, who was said to be his relative, was allegedly accused by members of the community of being responsible for his death through witchcraft.

The petitioners said a confidential source, identified as the deceased’s son, reported that he returned home on Sunday evening after hearing people shouting and found a group of persons confronting his father.

The group allegedly made fires on both sides of Ikye and questioned him over Aleva’s death which the elderly man reportedly denied knowing what happened to Aleva or being responsible for his death.

The petition further alleged that while some members of the group disagreed over what should be done to Ikye, others picked up logs and began beating him, adding that he reportedly died from the attack.

AfAW identified five persons among those allegedly involved in the attack, including the youth president of the community, based on the account of the confidential witness.

The organisation stressed that the allegations and identities contained in the petition were based on information supplied by the confidential source and should be independently investigated by the police.

It further alleged that after Ikye’s death, an ambulance was called and his body was taken to Ikpayongo and deposited at a mortuary.

AfAW also alleged that when the community later held a meeting over the incident, the death of Ikye was not discussed, claiming that the deceased’s son, who attempted to record part of the meeting, had his phone allegedly seized and photographs and videos deleted.

The organisation urged the police to investigate the alleged killing, preserve available evidence, protect the deceased’s family and witness from intimidation and prosecute anyone found culpable.

AfAW said it was concerned that an unexplained illness or death could be used as a basis for accusing another person of witchcraft and subjecting the individual to violence.

The organisation urged the police command to take steps to prevent further witchcraft-related violence in the community and ensure that those responsible for Ikye’s death face the law if found culpable.

Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.