Mob Allegedly Beats 80-Year-Old Man To Death Over Witchcraft Allegation In Benue

An 80-year-old man, identified as 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.

The incident reportedly occurred at about 7 p.m. on Sunday at Tse-Ikye, Gbemacha Council Ward, Mbavior, Mbasar community, following the death of a man identified as Aker Aleva.

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW), in a petition to the Benue State Commissioner of Police, alleged that Aleva, who was in his 30s, had gone out to watch football and complained of a headache while returning home before he reportedly collapsed.

According to the petition signed by AfAW Director, Dr Leo Igwe, Aleva was taken to a hospital in Ikpayongo but later died.

The organisation alleged that following Aleva’s death, some members of the community accused Ikye, said to be a relative of the deceased, of being responsible for his death through witchcraft.

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

The petition alleged that the mob made fires on both sides of Ikye and questioned him about Aleva’s death. The elderly man reportedly denied any knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Aleva’s death and rejected the allegation against him.

According to the organisation, while some members of the group disagreed over what should be done to Ikye, others allegedly picked up logs and began beating him.

AfAW alleged that Ikye died as a result of the attack, adding that an ambulance was later called and his body was taken to Ikpayongo, where it was deposited at a mortuary.

The organisation identified five people, including the community youth president, as allegedly being involved in the attack, based on information supplied by its confidential source.

However, AfAW stressed that the allegations and identities contained in its petition were based on information provided by the source and should be independently investigated by the police.

The organisation further alleged that when a community meeting was subsequently held over the incident, Ikye’s death was not discussed. It claimed that the deceased’s son, who attempted to record part of the meeting, had his phone allegedly seized and some photographs and videos deleted.

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

The organisation also expressed concern over the use of unexplained illnesses or deaths as grounds for accusing people of witchcraft, warning that such allegations could lead to violence and extrajudicial killings.

It called on the Benue State Police Command to take preventive measures against further witchcraft-related violence in the community and ensure that anyone found responsible for Ikye’s death is brought to justice.