90-Year-Old Woman Stoned to Death in Lira City After Accusations of Witchcraft

The Lira City CPS is currently investigating the suspected mob murder of 90-year-old Epila Mary, which occurred on September 9, 2024, at 14:45 in Gwengabara cell, Boroboro West Ward, Lira City East Division.

On the same day, around 1:00 PM, the deceased attended the burial of Engom Stephen, who had died in a motor vehicle accident in Luwero District. During the burial, she was observed throwing a white pill (cavera) that contained a pink cloth, which was suspected to be a charm.

This raised concerns among attendees, prompting the local councilor, Okori Stephen, and the officer in charge of Angwetangwet Police to be notified.

Upon inspection, the officer noted that the substance resembled urine. However, the gathered crowd remained unconvinced and believed it to be a charm. This led to a violent reaction, and the crowd began to assault the elderly woman. Despite the officer’s attempts to rescue her on a motorcycle, he was overpowered, and the mob ultimately stoned her to death, accusing her of witchcraft.

A case file, GEF 23/2024, has been opened to investigate the incident. A team of police officers, including the DPC of Lira City CPS, homicide desk, SOCO, and uniformed personnel, visited the crime scene to document the evidence, take photographs, and create a sketch plan.

The deceased’s son, Ocero Tom, and the local council chairman, Okori Stephen, were interviewed, and their statements were recorded.

The body of the deceased has been transported to Lira Regional Referral Hospital for a postmortem examination. Several suspects, including Odong Patrick, Okello Vincent, Obonyo Daniel, Ongom Dicken, and Opio Epila, have been identified and are being sought by authorities.