Farmer charged with murder for ritual purpose

Wa, Jan. 17, GNA - A 35-year-old farmer, Torrum Korrum, from Yaala Number One in the Wa East District was on Friday appeared before the Wa Circuit Court on a charge of murdering his half-brother, Widinia Baberihim, for ritual purposes.

The accused whose plea was not taken, was remanded in prison custody by the Court presided over by Alhaji Mohammed Mustapha to reappear on January 26 this year.

In the dock with Korrum was his 55-year-old mother, Fatima Sundono, charged with abetment of crime.

Police Chief Inspector Stephen Dobara said the accused persons who are farmers from Yaala Number one live in the same house with the deceased.

According to the prosecution sometime ago Korrum allegedly accused his half-brother of flirting with his wife, which the deceased denied. Chief Inspector Dobara said this suspicion strained the relationship between the brothers until January 6 this year when the deceased left home for his farm.

According to the prosecution, first accused laid ambush for the deceased and hit him with a club making him unconscious.

Chief Inspector Dobara said the accused then beheaded, inflicted a deep cut on the right rib and removed the kidney of the deceased through the cut.

He said following the unusual absence of the deceased from home, the people of the village became alarmed and organised a search party, which found the headless maggot infested decomposed body in a bush on the bank of a dried steam on January 9 this year. A report was made to the Wa Police and the first accused was arrested.

Chief Inspector Dobara told the Court that the accused in his statement to the Police admitted having murdered his half-brother upon the instigation of his 55-year-old mother. The accused persons have been remanded in prison custody to re-appear on January 26.