Two widows, identified as Mrs. Martina Osom and Mrs. Rose Akom, have reportedly been beaten to death after they were accused of being witches by the youths of Ebbaken community in Boje, Boki local government area of Cross River State.
The incident reportedly took place in the wee hours of Saturday, August 27, according to Vanguard.
An eyewitness and a son-in-law to one of the victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said both women, devoted Catholics, were returning from early morning prayers when the youths accused them of initiating a member of the community into witchcraft.
“They met my mother-in-law within the Church environment. As it was her tradition to weed and clean up the Church vicinity every Saturday immediately after the Morning Mass. The youths accused her of initiating a member of the community into witchcraft and she denied the allegation.
“But they went ahead and beat her severely, ordering her to confess that she is a witch. But her passionate appeal to them that she was innocent fell on deaf ears.” He said.
He added that the other woman, Mrs Rose Akom, was also dragged to join his mother-in-law and inflicted with same torture, ordering her to confess to allegations that she is a witch.
“They were both tied with strong ropes and beaten in the rain all through the day until they died”, he said.
He further added that no arrest had been made and the culprits are walking free in the community.
The state police command is, however, yet to react to this development.
This comes after a video of a widow being bound and flogged by members of her community in Umueghu in Amaegbuato autonomous community Nkpa Bende Local Government in Abia state, was recently shared online.
Human Rights activist, Harrison Gwamnishu, who shared a video, revealed the widow was assaulted after her late husband’s brother’s wife accused her of being a witch. Read here.
