Two persons have been buried alive by angry youths in Ikyve community in Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State over allegations of practising witchcraft.
According to multiple witnesses, the rampaging youths took the step after a thunderstrike that killed one of the villagers identified as Henry Ihwakaa, his wife and his two-week-old child.
The youths were said to have apprehended the father of the alleged thunder victim, Ihwakaa and another elderly man purported to be his collaborator on Saturday.
A community leader in the area, Baba Agan, who claimed to have reported the case to the police at Tse Agbaragba, the headquarters of the local government, said before policemen could get to the village, the two elderly people had died.
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“The incident happened at Ikyve in the Konshisha Local Government Area on Saturday. There was a light rain that day accompanied by thunder which hit a young man, his wife and a two-week-old child and the three people died.
“As a result of that, youths in the village mobilised and went to the house of the father of the young man whose name is Henry and the father’s name is Ihwakaa, they attacked him and an elderly man, dug a grave and buried them alive,” Agan said.
Confirming the unfortunate incident, the Benue State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, said only one was killed during the attack.
Anene also said two suspects have been arrested in connection with the development.
According to her, “The elderly man was buried alive because it was being alleged that a young man, his wife and two-month-old child died from lightning.
“It was alleged that it was the man doing witchcraft that brought the lightning. They went and buried him alive and he died. Police are investigating; we have arrested two people already.”