The Benue State Police Command has apprehended a suspected leader of a nine-man gang accused of torturing an 89-year-old man, Elder Kyado Justin. The gang alleged that Elder Justin had inflicted illness through witchcraft on a younger member of the community. This incident occurred in the Tse Agena-Gbamacha council ward of the Gwer East Local Government Area, where a young man named Terzunge Agena had been suffering from an illness with no signs of recovery.
According to reports, some youths in the village pointed fingers at Elder Justin and forcibly took him to a location where they prepared a fire. They compelled him to sit by the flames, hoping that the torture would elicit a confession regarding his supposed involvement in Agena’s illness. Catherine Anene, the spokesperson for the state police command, confirmed the incident, stating that officers who responded to the scene rescued the elderly man, who had sustained various degrees of burns on his waist and legs. He was subsequently taken to the Federal Medical Center in Apir for treatment.
Anene detailed that on January 18, 2023, at approximately 11:30 AM, Elder Kyado Justin was abducted by the gang based on allegations of witchcraft against Terzunge Agena, as pronounced by a witch doctor. Upon the police’s arrival, the assailants fled, abandoning the elderly victim. Following the rescue, an investigation led to the arrest of one Ushahemba Agena, who was identified as the leader of the mob that targeted Elder Justin. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other suspects who remain at large.
The state Commissioner of Police, Wale Abass, has condemned this barbaric act and expressed his commitment to ensuring that the perpetrators are arrested and dealt with according to the law. Anene emphasized that the Commissioner calls on traditional rulers and community leaders to educate their children and wards about the dangers of such inhumane practices, affirming that the police command will not tolerate these actions under his leadership.
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