The youths of the Ebbaken community in Boje, Boki local government area of Cross River State allegedly beat two widows, named Mrs. Martina Osom and Mrs. Rose Akom, to death after accusing them of being witches.
According to Vanguard, the event happened early on Saturday, August 2.
The widows, who were devout Catholics, were returning from early morning mass when the youths accused them of initiating a member of the community into witchcraft, according to an eyewitness and a son-in-law to one of the windows who spoke, requesting anonymity.
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 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 claimed that the other woman, Mrs Rose Akom, was also forced to join her mother-in-law and tortured in order for her to admit to the witchcraft allegations.
“They were both tied with strong ropes and beaten in the rain all through the day until they died,” he said.
He claimed that no one had been arrested and that the offenders were freely roaming the village.
“That was what happened in this civilised era in this community,” he complained.
However, the state police command is reportedly yet to respond to this development.
