Duo chopped in sorcery-related killings in Lufa

By ZACHERY PER
TWO elderly men were separately chopped to death in remote Lufa district, Eastern Highlands, in sorcery-related killings over the Easter weekend.
The mutilated body of an elderly man was reportedly placed next to the dead body of a man he was alleged to have killed using sorcery.
The killers believe their action will deter others from using sorcery to kill.
The elderly man was chopped and left on a track leading from his garden to his Gouno village and his mutilated body was found several hours later by villagers.
Villagers at Kise village near the Lufa government station said yesterday an elderly man accused of causing the death of a middle-aged man was chopped to death in a brutal fashion.
When police at Lufa police station arrived, the murderers openly told them they were “just weeding out bad weeds in their village”.
Police were reportedly helpless as they were outnumbered because everyone in Kise village approved of the brutal murder of the alleged sorcerer.
In remote Gouno village, two young men set an ambush to attack a lone man who was returning from his garden with his dog and chopped him to death.
Villagers said the attackers hid in the bush and let the deceased passed.
They then attacked from behind and chopped him to death. His body was left along the road and was found a few hours later.
The killers remain at large and Lufa police are investigating the killing.
Lufa LLG principal project officer Peter Young condemned the two killings.
He said there were procedures to solve disputes through the law and justice systems.
“I call on Kise and Gouno villagers to immediately stop taking the law into their own hands but follow proper procedures to solve problems,” he said.
Young, who is chairman of Lufa district peace and good order committee, said police would continue investigations and “bring those responsible for taking innocent lives to face the full force of the law”.
Eastern Highlands provincial commander Supt Augustine Wampe could not be reached yesterday for comments.
Wampe, however, had earlier condemned such killings.
He had said people responsible for brutally murdering other people as in sorcery-related deaths would be dealt with severely.