In Benue, police arrest 2 for burying elderly man accused of witchcraft alive

Catherine Anene, the police spokesperson in the state made this known to reporters on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, in Makurdi.

According to Anene, the incident happened at Ikyve, a community in Konshisha Local Government of the state.

She disclosed that some angry youths buried the elderly man named Ihwakaa Ikyve alive after accusing him of witchcraft.

“An elderly man was buried alive because it was alleged that he sent lightning to his two sons and wife. One of the sons was just two-month-old, she said.

The deceased were reportedly struck by lightning following a rainstorm in the area, but after the incident on Sunday, April 23, 2023, some youths claimed the elderly man was responsible for the deaths, saying he sent lightning to kill his own family.

They alleged that the man was notorious for harming people with witchcraft. 

“The irate youth went and buried him alive and he died in the grave before he was rescued. Police are investigating the incident. We have arrested two people already,” the police spokesperson said.

A resident of the community who also confirmed the incident to PremiumTimes said after the lightning killed three people in the community, the youths accosted the old man and buried him alive.

He said the man had died before the police arrived to exhume his body from the grave.