Local authorities in Eastern Equatoria State’s Magwi County said on Monday they are investigating the killing of a woman in Amee Boma by a mob after she beheaded another woman.
A 58-year-old woman identified as Ayero Betty was stoned to death by a mob for murdering a 48-year-old woman identified as Adyero Agnes in Magwi over the weekend in Amee Boma, Iwire Payam, by a woman allegedly sent from Juba for the assignment.
The suspect was then arrested by local youth and after questioning she allegedly admitted that they are in a group hunting for people’s heads. She was then killed by a mob.
According to local sources, the revelation that there is a group of people out to cut off people’s heads sent shock waves and created fear in Magwi.
Magwi County Deputy Inspector General of Police First Lieutenant David Atanga told Radio Tamazuj that the incident happened last Friday at 4pm and that the killer was a relative of the deceased.
“It was December 20 at 4pm and we received a report from Amee that a 58-year-old woman was accused of butchering a 48-year-old woman to death,” he explained. “The community reacted by mob justice and killed the alleged killer. The local community said the killer and the deceased are close relatives. The severed head was put on display and is available.”
Laboke Sebit, an SPLM-IO Member of State Parliament who hails from Magwi County, confirmed and condemned the gruesome killing, saying it is the first time such beheading has happened in Magwi. He, however, warned communities against taking the law into their own hands.
“It is the first time I have heard something like this in my area. If someone has committed a crime, we have the law and such a person should not be immediately killed but taken to the police and then to court to decide,” he said. “If people cut off heads, it will continue because the suspect was killed before he was brought to the authorities to reveal the killers.”
Meanwhile, Peter Moyoyo said mob justice by local communities is wrong and that both the woman who was stoned to death and the mob that killed her committed the crime of murder.
“The law is developed to protect everyone’s rights and what the woman did to her sister is wrong. If there were any motives behind her actions to kill the woman like witch doctors or evil acts, then it is already a crime under the penal code,” he said. “The community’s reaction to resort to mob justice in such cases and to deter such crimes is a local arrangement but it is also against the law. The community was supposed to arrest and hand over the suspect to.” the police for justice. What they did is also a crime.”
