Four men in Kembong, Manyu Division, have reportedly been unlawfully imprisoned on accusations of witchcraft. The incident unfolded on Wednesday, March 19, when youths in the village accused the men of using witchcraft to hinder Kembong’s development. The men, believed to be in their seventies, were blamed for the village’s sluggish progress and economic difficulties.
“We work for money, but we cannot find it. We sell cocoa, but money disappears,” one of the youths stated.
According to the accusers, these men had allegedly come from different areas to cast harmful spells on the village. Videos seen by this reporter showed a mob trailing the men, who were carrying shovels. The youths claimed the men had buried witchcraft in various locations and forced them to exhume it.
Community Outrage and Traditional Rituals
“Every day we are quarreling with our women. Fathers beating children, and children beating and killing fathers. Everyone is quarreling because of these men. Nobody is building a better house in Kembong,” said the narrator in one of the videos.
Another voice in the background added, “So many youths have died because of these men. So many wrong things are happening in the village.”
Despite being forced to dig in several locations, the accused men uncovered nothing. The situation escalated as the old men were compelled to remove their shirts and shoes while digging under the watch of Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) personnel.
While the accused excavated, BIR officers were seen instructing the mob to remain calm. However, some security personnel were also spotted filming as the men dug through heaps of soil in search of the alleged witchcraft.
In some footage, a traditional medicine man could be seen performing incantations before the accused were forced to dig. He held a small black pot, stirring its contents with a short stick before spraying the mixture around areas suspected of harboring witchcraft.
No Evidence, but Tensions Remain
Despite all the digging, nothing was discovered. However, even after the men were detained, the enraged youths vowed that peace would not return to Kembong until the alleged witchcraft was removed.
