David Kazungu
11 November 2009
Police in Mbale are hunting for assailants who beheaded a 67-year-old man over witchcraft. John Wamb, was beheaded on Wednesday and his body dumped in a cassava plantation about 200 metres from his home in Marare village, Bungokho Sub-county.
Mr Rajabu Wanda, the village chairperson, said Wambi who was a traditional healer, was last seen at a drinking joint in a neighbouring village of Bukhumwa with his friends at about 7 pm. He said being a traditional healer; some residents have been accusing him of casting bad omens to his relatives adding that this could be the motivation of the killers.
Sniffer dogs
The Police Spokesperson in Eastern Region area, Mr Iddi Ssekumbi, says they used sniffer dogs to track the assailants and the search led them to homes of the deceased's close relatives who had, however run away.
"We are investigating this matter on two fronts of witchcraft and domestic conflict over property given the fact that the people named in the felony are the deceased's close relatives," Mr Ssekumbi said. "His body lay in a pool of blood with a thread like layer of flesh joining his head to the rest of the body meaning they used a very sharp object to cut his throat," he added. He said the Police are holding Mr Wanda, to help with investigations because it is suspected he provided custody to the assailants before the murder.
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