PADER: LC3 Chairperson, five others charged over murder

The Territorial Police in Aswa East Region has charged to court five suspects including Mwaka Christopher, the LC 3 Chairman of Ajani sub-county in Pader District over the murder of an 80-year-old woman whom they accused of practicing witchcraft in her village.

The deceased identified as Akongo Mary a resident and peasant farmer of Acamuling Village in Ajani Sub-county was reportedly killed by the community on the LC3 Chairman’s instructions in an incident that happened on September 20, 2023.

According to Police Spokesperson SCP Fred Enanga, facts gathered indicate that on 20/09/2023 at around 5 pm, Mwaka Christopher, the LC 3 Chairman (Ajani sub-county), together with Okeny Francis, the LC2 Chairman (Paibwor Parish), Odongo Robert, the LC1 Chairman (Acamuling Village) and Rubangakene Denis, the GISO (Ajani Sub-county) caused the arrest of the victim following an outcry from the public.

Enanga says after her arrest, the victim was arraigned in a Kangaroo court at the home of Oyet Yusuf, where they accused the victim of practicing witchcraft before the mobilized community members. The victim forcefully apologized to the community and the local leaders, but the apology fell on deaf ears.

“It is at this stage that the LC3 Chairman instructed the community to kill the victim and burn her home. She was tortured while being led from the home of Oyet Yusuf up to her home. The angry mob killed her and set her body on fire. Her homestead was also burnt,” Enanga said while addressing the media on Monday at police headquarters in Naguru.

The police spokesperson says concerned community members brought the matter to the attention of police in Pader who responded to the scene of murder, documented it and carried out a post-mortem.

In due process, other community members were arrested as suspects to help in the ongoing murder investigations, and these include; Oyet Yusuf, Ochaya Francis, Akello Lucy, Ayeno Shilah, Ali Concy and Alima Sunday.

Enanga strongly condemned the act he described as impunity and said efforts are in place to trace for the other suspects still in hiding and on the run and bring them to justice.

“As the police, we strongly condemn such acts of impunity. There is no justification at all for the actions of the suspects. We are confident, our homicide team, will fast-track the matter to court.”