Cross River youths lynch two widows over witchcraft allegation

Two widows, Martina Osom and Rose Akon, accused of witchcraft have been allegedly lynched by some youths in Ebbaken community, Boje, in the Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the youths, who allegedly tortured victims to death, perpetrated the crime in the community on Saturday.

A son-in-law to one of the widows, who preferred to remain anonymous for security reasons, said the victims were devoted Catholics, adding that they were returning from early morning prayers when the youths accosted them.

 Thereafter, he said the youths accused the duo of initiating a member of the community into witchcraft and attacked them.

He said, “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 gave her severe beating, and ordered her to confess that she was a witch. Her appeal to them that she was innocent fell on deaf ears.”

He said the other victim was also dragged to join his mother-in-law, adding that the youths allegedly tortured her in a bid to compel her to confess to being a witch.

“They were both tied with strong ropes and beaten in the rain all through the day until they died,” the son-in-law said, lamenting how such could “happen in this civilised era in the community.”

He said the police command in Cross Rivers State had yet to arrest anyone in connection to the crime, adding that the suspects were still walking freely in the community.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Irene Ugbo, did not take her calls. She had yet to respond a text message sent to her phone number as of the time this report was filed.