'Wizard' Beaten to Pulp - Three Days After Poor Woman Stoned to Death

By William Nlanjerbor Jalulah

Duusi — But for the timely intervention of the Nangodi police in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region, a suspected wizard would have been lynched on Thursday, just four days after a woman was killed under similar circumstances.

Moses Kukur was attacked by a mob on Thursday afternoon at Duusi, near Pelungu, for allegedly bewitching some community members, and also initiating two men into witchcraft.

The mob attacked Kukur with clubs, stones and any offensive weapons they laid their hands on. This took place in broad daylight, and at the centre of the community, as passers-by, community members, school children and teachers besieged the scene and looked on, either helplessly or unperturbed.

As the mob continued unleashing instant justice on the victim, someone rang the Nangodi Police, and a team of police personnel was immediately dispatched to the scene. On their arrival, the police had to fire warning shots before they could ward off the mob.

The victim was then rescued and rushed to the Upper East Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga, where he was admitted.

He sustained deep wounds all over his body, with his face terribly deformed. The police managed to arrest one of the attackers.

A source at the community told this reporter that among the allegations levelled against Kukur, was his alleged initiation of two men into witchcraft.

According to the source, their allegation was confirmed by a native doctor at Gambaga in the Northern Region. The native doctor also allegedly confirmed that Kukur was a wizard.

After the alleged confirmation, the victim's accusers wanted to take the two men to Gambaga to be purified, but he (the victim) allegedly said it will only happen over his dead body. His insistence angered the people, and that led to the attack on him.

However, a sister of the victim, who would not give her name, denied all the allegations levelled against her brother. Rather, she also claimed it was out of hatred that the mob attacked her brother.

"Hmmm! my brother, it's nothing oooh. They just hate my brother. First, when they accused him, we went and consulted the gods, and they said he was not a wizard, but because the people hate him, they don't just want to see him, and that is why they attacked him."

This incident occurred four days after a mob from Tindongo lynched a 67-old woman they claimed was a witch.

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